CDC denies West Coast request to validate high-volume measles test, citing ‘other priorities’

Health officials from four states warn the decision could hamper outbreak response and urge the agency to reconsider

By LineZotpaper

Published22 October 2026

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The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has denied a request from California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington to validate a rapid, high-volume test for measles, citing other competing priorities, according to a letter sent to CDC director Erica Schwartz by the West Coast Health Alliance.

In May, health officials in California and Washington formally asked the CDC to validate a new method for testing measles that could process large numbers of samples quickly. After a two-month wait, the agency rejected the request, a decision that the West Coast Health Alliance says undermines preparedness for major outbreaks.

The alliance, which represents health departments in California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington, sent a letter to Dr. Schwartz on October 22 urging her to reverse the decision and publish a validated high-throughput measles assay. Such a test, the officials wrote, would “dramatically strengthen” laboratories’ ability to respond quickly to outbreaks and also help prepare for other pathogens such as Ebola or hantavirus.

Currently, public health laboratories rely on lower-volume individual PCR tests for measles. During the Covid-19 pandemic, many labs acquired high-throughput equipment such as the Hologic Panther Fusion platform, which can process up to 500 tests in eight hours. But no high-throughput test for measles has been published or validated by the CDC.

Texas state laboratories developed their own high-volume measles test during an outbreak in west Texas last year, but the protocol has not been distributed or published. The CDC has reportedly studied that test and one from ARUP Laboratories, but the West Coast officials said the studies “were not full validations or a comprehensive comparison.” The alliance is asking the CDC to develop an assay for the Panther Fusion and publish the protocol so any lab can run it.

“If a large outbreak were to occur in our region, without high-throughput capacity, it would be more difficult to scale up diagnostic testing appropriately, impairing patient care and public health investigation,” the letter said.

Emily Hilliard, a spokesperson for the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), said the CDC is “ensuring state and local health departments have the support needed to strengthen measles detection and outbreak response” and is “prioritizing emerging technologies” to respond to the current measles outbreak. She did not answer questions about whether the agency plans to validate a high-throughput measles assay.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Without a validated high-volume test, laboratories on the West Coast and elsewhere may struggle to scale up testing quickly if a major measles outbreak occurs.
The decision reflects broader tensions between federal and state public health agencies over preparedness priorities and resource allocation.
The issue also raises questions about how quickly the CDC can adapt to emerging threats and whether lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic are being applied to other infectious diseases.

Background

The request came amid a measles outbreak in west Texas last year, which prompted Texas state labs to develop their own high-volume test. However, that protocol has not been shared nationally. During the pandemic, many public health labs invested in high-throughput PCR platforms to process large batches of Covid tests. Those same platforms could, in principle, run a validated measles test, but none has been approved or published by the CDC.

Key Perspectives

West Coast health officials: They argue that a validated high-throughput assay is essential for outbreak preparedness and that the CDC’s denial leaves the region vulnerable. They note that the Texas test and other efforts show such a test is feasible, but require CDC validation to be widely usable.

CDC/HHS: The agency says it is supporting state and local health departments and prioritizing emerging technologies. It has not directly addressed whether it will develop or validate a high-volume measles test, instead citing other competing priorities.

Public health experts: Observers concerned about transparency and speed in federal disease response may view this as a missed opportunity to strengthen the nation’s diagnostic capacity before the next large outbreak.

What to Watch

Whether the CDC reconsiders the request or issues a formal response to the West Coast Health Alliance’s letter.
If a major measles outbreak occurs in the region, the lack of high-volume testing capacity could become a visible bottleneck.
The status of the Texas test protocol and whether other states develop their own unvalidated methods, potentially creating inconsistencies in outbreak detection.

Sources

CDC denies approval for high-volume measles test, citing ‘other priorities’ · World news | The Guardian

Checked

11 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 6 supported.

Show each claim

Partly supportedThe CDC cited ‘other priorities’ in denying the request.World news | The Guardian: “the CDC denied the request, citing “other competing priorities””
Partly supportedCalifornia, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington jointly made the original request to validate the test.World news | The Guardian: “California and Washington asked the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in May to validate a new way to test for measles”
SupportedThe CDC received the request in May and denied it after a two-month wait.World news | The Guardian: “California and Washington asked the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in May to validate a new way to test for measles – but after waiting two months, the CDC denied the request”
Not in the sourcesThe letter to Erica Schwartz was sent on October 22.
Partly supportedThe decision undermines preparedness for major outbreaks, according to the alliance.World news | The Guardian: ““If a large outbreak were to occur in our region, without high-throughput capacity, it would be more difficult to scale up diagnostic testing appropriately, impairing patient care and public health investigation.””
SupportedFour-state health officials warn the decision could hamper outbreak response and urge reconsideration.World news | The Guardian: “The letter, signed by health officials in California , Hawaii, Oregon and Washington, asks Schwartz to reconsider and validate a rapid, high-volume measles test in preparation for major outbreaks.”
Partly supportedThe request was addressed to Dr. Erica Schwartz, identified as the CDC director.World news | The Guardian: “according to a letter from the West Coast Health Alliance to the CDC director, Erica Schwartz.”
SupportedOfficials said the test would “dramatically strengthen” laboratories’ ability to respond quickly to outbreaks.World news | The Guardian: “Such a test would “dramatically strengthen” the ability of laboratories to respond quickly to outbreaks, the health officials said”
SupportedThe Hologic Panther Fusion can process up to 500 tests in eight hours.World news | The Guardian: “the Hologic Panther Fusion, a PCR platform for diagnosing illness that can process up to 500 tests in eight hours.”
SupportedHilliard said the CDC was “ensuring state and local health departments have the support needed to strengthen measles detection and outbreak response.”World news | The Guardian: ““ensuring state and local health departments have the support needed to strengthen measles detection and outbreak response”, said Emily Hilliard”
SupportedHilliard said the agency was “prioritizing emerging technologies” to respond to the measles outbreak.World news | The Guardian: “The agency was “prioritizing emerging technologies” to respond to the measles outbreak, Hilliard said.”