Scientists are warning that the ongoing measles outbreak might force the United States to lose its elimination status for the first time in decades. The big picture: For 25 years, the U.S. has been free of yearly measles outbreaks.

One study estimates that an outbreak the size of the one in West Texas earlier this year costs about $12.6 million.

Scientists are determining whether multi-state outbreaks are linked to the West Texas outbreak that started earlier this year.

Spartanburg's 'accelerating' measles outbreak has surpassed 100 cases. The underlying causes go beyond simple exposure into culture and experiences

North Carolina does not currently have any confirmed measles cases, according to the NC Department of Health & Human Services’ website (as of Friday, Dec. 12 afternoon). A measles case was confirmed this summer. Before that, a case was confirmed fall 2024, but there were no reported cases from 2019 to 2023, per NCDHHS.

Nationally, the measles case count is nearing 2,000 for a disease that has been considered eliminated in the U.S. Many of those cases are in South Carolina.

South Carolina health officials on Friday confirmed an additional 15 new cases of measles since Tuesday, as the widening outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease in the northwest part of the state has infected 126 people so far.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today said the United States has 1,912 confirmed measles cases so far in 2025, an increase of 84 cases since last week and a bad sign as holiday gatherings, travel, and indoor activities is set to pick up in the final weeks of the year.