Mexico could be at risk of losing its measles elimination status as the virus continues to spread across the country.As of Wednesday, more than 9,100 measles cases have been confirmed since the beginning of last year with at least 28 deaths, according to Mexico's Secretariat of Health.The majority of cases have occurred in children between ages 1 and 9, accounting for more than 2,400 infections, health agency data shows.Amid growing Texas outbreak, how contagious is measles?A measles outbreak began in Mexico on Feb.1 in the northwestern state of Chihuahua.
It's unclear if Chihuahua's cases are linked to those in other states; if so, it would mean Mexico has seen a year of continuous transmission.If it's determined that Mexico has experienced 12 months of continuous measles transmission, it could lead to a loss of the country's elimination status that was earned in 1996.Measles would once again be considered endemic or constantly circulating.The loss of status is determined by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), an agency of the United Nations that oversees international health in the Americas.A child, member of the indigenous community of Tzajalhucum, receives a dose of the measles vaccine during a vaccination campaign aimed at containing a measles outbreak in the country, in San Juan Cancuc, state of Chiapas, Mexico, Jan.
24, 2026.Damian Sanchez/ReutersAn independent body of experts established by the PAHO -- known as the Measles, Rubella, and Congenital Rubella Syndrome Elimination Regional Monitoring and Re-Verification Commission -- meets at least once a year to monitor and re-verify measles and rubella elimination among countries in the region.PAHO recently invited Mexico and the U.S.to meet virtually on April 13 to review their respective elimination statuses.The agency also issued an epidemiological alert last week, warning that measles is spreading throughout the Americas.Popular ReadsNancy Guthrie case: Person released as search for 'armed indiv...