The highly infectious disease measles was actually declared eliminated in the US back in 2000. Now, 25 years later, the US is experiencing a serious outbreak of measles that has sickened nearly 500 people and killed one child.
Symptoms and Outcomes of Measles:
Before there were effective vaccinations, measles was a common childhood disease. That doesn’t mean it was insignificant, though. In addition to fever, a rash and respiratory symptoms, measles may be accompanied by conjunctivitis, sore throat, runny nose and Koplik spots. These are little white spots on the inside of the cheek, looking like “grains of salt on a red background.” They are very distinctive and can aid in diagnosing measles even before the rash appears. However, not everyone with a measles infection develops Koplik spots. Beyond these characteristic symptoms, measles can cause complications such as pneumonia, blindness, deafness and encephalitis. The infection can kill young children and those with reduced immunity.
How Was Measles Eliminated?
Researchers developed a vaccine against measles in 1963 and public health officials soon incorporated it into the schedule of childhood vaccinations. At first, doctors gave kids just one shot. In 1989, an outbreak among schoolchildren who had been vaccinated prompted experts to re-think that strategy. That is when they started giving all youngsters two shots of a vaccine. The shots stopped infections, so kids no longer passed it along to other children. So long as the vaccination rate was high enough, measles didn’t spread. Even if an unvaccinated traveler acquired an infection in another country, it didn’t cause a large outbreak that kept on going.
What Is the Status of the 2025 Measles Outbreak?
The US is experiencing the largest measles outbreak it has seen in years, so we can no longer claim that it has been “eliminated.” The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted well-baby visits to the pediatrician so some children did not get their usual shots. In addition, vaccine hesitancy has grown. Consequently, vaccination rates have fallen below the level needed to protect unvaccinated babies and children. Adults, too, can catch the infection unless they have been vaccinated or they have immunity from a prior infection.
Travelers are at risk if they are unvaccinated and visiting areas where there are outbreaks, such as Texas, New Mexico, Florida and Kansas. There are also areas in Europe, Africa and Asia where measles infections are increasing. The WHO is recommending that international travelers make sure they are fully vaccinated. Two doses of the measles vaccine offer 97% protection against the disease.
