The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), a United Nations agency, has released a new report warning of an increase in measles cases across the region.
On Wednesday, the organization issued a Epidemiological notices which called on member states to strengthen “regular surveillance and vaccination activities” to prevent the spread of the disease.
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“The sharp increase in measles cases in the Americas during 2025 and early 2026 is a warning sign that requires immediate and coordinated action by member states,” PAHO said in a statement.
Overall, in the first three weeks of 2026 alone, PAHO documented 1,031 cases of measles in the US. A total of 14,891 cases were confirmed in 2025.
Some of the largest outbreaks highlighted by PAHO were unfolding in North America, with countries such as the United States, Mexico and Canada experiencing high numbers of cases.
What is measles?
Measles is a highly contagious airborne virus that can infect nine out of every 10 people exposed to it if they are not vaccinated.
In most cases, the symptoms of the disease become apparent within a few weeks. However, measles can be fatal or cause life-altering health complications, especially in young children.
Some patients develop ear infections and inflammation of the lungs. Others experience pneumonia or encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain that can cause permanent damage, including seizures and memory loss.
The only way to prevent measles and stop its spread is to get vaccinated. This care is usually provided by a combination vaccine known by the acronym MMR for measles, mumps, and rubella.
Doctors usually advise patients to get vaccinated early. For healthy children, the general guideline is to receive the first MMR dose before 15 months of age. The second and final dose is recommended before age six.
The MMR vaccine is widely considered safe. But in countries like the US, vaccination rates have declined in recent years, in part due to conspiracy theories and misleading statements.
For example, the nation’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has previously asserted that the vaccine “wears off very quickly,” even though it provides lifelong protection.
Kennedy has claimed that there are health risks associated with vaccines. But experts, including the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have repeatedly said that most people don’t experience any serious problems — and that the vaccine is safer than measles.
“No MMR vaccine-related deaths have been demonstrated in healthy people,” the Infectious Diseases Society of America states on its website.
High numbers in North America
The US reported 171 new cases of measles in the first three weeks of 2026, PAHO reported Wednesday. A total of 2,242 cases were reported in the country in 2025.
One of the ongoing outbreaks is in South Carolina, where 876 events Measles has been reported in recent months. Of these, a total of 800 patients were unvaccinated, 16 received only partial vaccination, and 38 had unknown vaccination status.
Meanwhile, there was an outbreak in Texas 762 cases Measles between January and August. Two unvaccinated children died and 99 were hospitalized in that outbreak.
In 2000, measles was eliminated from the US, a sign that cases were no longer spreading domestically, although some cases occurred after exposure to the virus abroad.
Mexico also achieved measles elimination status in 1996 following a widespread vaccination campaign. All America region was announced Measles-free in 2016.
But both the US and Mexico are at risk of withdrawing their measles elimination status, as outbreaks continue.
For example, Mexico had 6,428 cases of measles in 2025, the most of any country in the Americas. Another 740 cases have been reported in the first three weeks of 2026.
PAHO typically determines which countries have eradication status, and the organization has indicated it will review the situation in the US and Mexico during the virtual. meeting On April 13.
CanadaMeanwhile, its measles eradication status has already been seen cancelled In November. Several outbreaks of measles have been observed since October 2024.
PAHO found that there were 5,436 cases of measles last year and 67 cases in the first three weeks of 2026.
A country can regain its eradication status only if transmission is stopped due to measles outbreaks lasting more than a year.