As U.S. is poised to lose measles-free status, RFK Jr.'s new CDC deputy downplays its significance - CBS News

After a year of ongoing measles outbreaks that have sickened more than 2,400 people, the United States is poised to lose its measles-free status. Ralph Abraham, the newly appointed principal deputy director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, downplayed the significance of this potential loss. Infections from other countries accounted for only about 10% of measles cases detected since Jan. 20, 2025, the official start of the deadly measles outbreak in West Texas, which spread to other states and Mexico. The rest were acquired domestically. To maintain its measles elimination status, the U.S. must prove that the virus has not circulated continuously in the nation for a year, between Jan. 20, 2025, and Jan. 20, 2026. The CDC expects to complete its studies within a couple of months and make the data public. Then the Pan American Health Organization, which oversees the Americas in partnership with the World Health Organization, will decide whether the U.S. will lose its measles elimination status.