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The worst year for measles in a generation
vox.com • • health
Key Points:
- Measles, declared eradicated in the US in 2000, has made a significant comeback with over 2,300 cases reported this year, the highest since 1992, and more cases in the past two years than the previous 24 combined.
- Large outbreaks in states like South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and Pennsylvania highlight the broader issue of declining childhood vaccination rates, with only 28% of US counties vaccinating enough kindergarteners to achieve herd immunity against measles.
- The drop in vaccination rates is driven by political polarization, misinformation, and reduced trust in health authorities, compounded ironically by the public's complacency due to the previous success in eradicating the disease.
- Measles is extremely contagious, requiring 95% community immunity to prevent transmission, but decades of effective vaccination campaigns have led to most Americans lacking firsthand experience of the disease's dangers, contributing to vaccine hesitancy.
