CDC warns that measles spike poses a 'renewed threat' to the disease's elimination

So far in 2024, more than 80% of measles cases involved people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown, according to CDC data. (Elaine Thompson/AP)

A spike in measles cases, largely caused by people not getting vaccinated, poses a "renewed threat" to the declaration in 2000 that the highly contagious airborne disease had been eliminated in the United States.

"The U.S. measles elimination status will continue to be threatened by global increases in measles incidence and decreases in global, national, and local measles vaccination coverage," the CDC said in a report released Thursday. Elimination status means the disease is no longer constantly present in the country.