[Comment] Elimination of measles and rubella in Pacific island countries and areas

Against the gloomy backdrop of a large-scale global measles resurgence in 2024–25, the announcement by WHO that all 21 Pacific island countries and areas (PICs) were verified to have eliminated endemic measles and rubella is very encouraging news (panel).1 The Regional Verification Commission's rigorous review considered five evidence lines—disease epidemiology, quality of laboratory and epidemiological surveillance, population immunity, sustainability of the immunisation programme and elimination, and genotyping data—to conclude that the Pacific subregion had interrupted endemic measles and rubella transmission for at least 36 months.