The Americas are experiencing a rise in measles cases, particularly in Mexico, the United States, and Canada, where some communities are not accessing vaccination services, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said Thursday. In 2025, 14,767 confirmed measles cases were reported in 13 countries across the Americas, an increase of nearly 32 times compared with 2024, PAHO Director Jarbas Barbosa said during a press conference.
That trend is continuing in 2026 and is accelerating. More than 15,300 confirmed cases have already been reported, surpassing the total for all of 2025, he warned. Mexico, Guatemala, the United States, and Canada account for the majority of cases, with ongoing transmission also reported in Bolivia and other countries.
The Americas became the first region to eliminate measles in 2016. That status was later lost in 2018, regained in 2024, and lost again in 2025, he said. The return of measles in the Americas is a major setback, but it is entirely reversible, he added. When one country loses its measles-free status, the entire region is affected, even though neighboring countries may maintain that designation individually, he noted.
Last year, 32 deaths linked to measles were reported, and in the first quarter of 2026 alone, 11 deaths have already been recorded, most of them among populations facing the greatest barriers to accessing health services. The United States, Mexico, and Canada are hosting the FIFA World Cup this year, an event expected to draw thousands of fans from around the world.
The main challenge is not the availability of vaccines, but reaching those who remain unprotected in time, Barbosa said. Factors such as misinformation, low risk perception, and barriers to access have contributed to declining vaccination coverage in some groups.
