Alert in America
Last week, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued a new epidemiological alert on measles for the countries of the Americas due to the increase in measles cases.
The authority called on governments to intensify epidemiological surveillance, vaccination and rapid response activities to outbreaks to interrupt transmission and protect vulnerable populations.
In the alert, PAHO highlights the persistence of cases and outbreaks in several countries in the region, in a context of sustained increase in cases during 2025 compared to the last five years, a trend that appears to continue in 2026.
PAHO recommended strengthening surveillance and active case search, including laboratory diagnosis, implementing complementary vaccination activities to close immunity gaps, and ensuring a timely response to any suspected case.
According to the Organization, in 2025, the region reported 14,891 confirmed cases of measles, including 29 deaths, in 13 countries: Argentina (36 cases), Belize (44 cases), Bolivia (597 cases), Brazil (38 cases), Canada (5,436 cases, including 2 deaths), Costa Rica (1 case), El Salvador (1 case), United States (2,242 cases, including 3 deaths), Guatemala (1 case), Mexico (6,428 cases, including 24 deaths), Paraguay (49 cases), Peru (5 cases) and Uruguay (13 cases). This total represents a 32-fold increase compared to the 466 cases recorded in 2024.
In the first three weeks of 2026, an additional 1,031 cases of measles were confirmed in seven countries—Bolivia (10), Canada (67), Chile (1), the United States (171), Guatemala (41), Mexico (740), and Uruguay (1)—with no reported deaths. This total represents a 43-fold increase compared to the 23 cases reported in the same period in 2025.
PAHO pointed out that the available evidence indicates that, among the confirmed cases with available information, 78% were not vaccinated and in 11% the history of vaccination was unknown.
Although the highest proportion of cases was recorded in adolescents and young adults, the highest incidence rates were observed in children under one year of age, followed by children aged 1 to 4 years and 5 to 9 years, which reinforces the need to guarantee complete vaccination schedules and additional protective measures in outbreak contexts.
Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that during 2025 more than 552,000 suspected cases of measles were reported in 179 countries, of which nearly 45% (247,623) were confirmed, reflecting a global resurgence of the disease in a context of persistent immunization gaps.
