Measles cases are surging worldwide, with 11 million infections reported last year alone. The World Health Organization says the once-achievable goal of eliminating measles is now far from reach.
The WHO cites vaccination levels that are too low to protect many parts of the world. Health experts say 95% of people in a region must be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity and stop the spread.
"Without sustained attention, hard-fought gains can easily be lost," the WHO said. "Where children are unvaccinated, outbreaks occur. Based on current trends of measles vaccination coverage and incidence, the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) concluded that measles elimination is under threat, as the disease resurged in numerous countries that achieved, or were close to achieving, elimination."
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Health officials continue to advocate for the MMR vaccine as the most effective means to combat the deadly and highly contagious virus. The shots are reported to be 97% effective, preventing illness and further spread of the disease.
Children are routinely vaccinated for measles at 12 to 15 months and again at 4 to 6 years of age — before going to kindergarten — but children as young as 6 months old can receive the measles vaccine if they are at risk.
According to the CDC, measles causes the following symptoms:
- Pneumonia
- Brain Damage
- Blindness
- Deafness
- Diarrhea
- Premature birth or low-birthweight baby (in unvaccinated pregnant women who contract measles during pregnancy)
- Measles infection leads to loss of immunity to other deadly diseases
The World Health Organization says that herd immunity against measles can be reached when a community achieves a 95% vaccination rate. U.S. health officials estimate that 92.7% of kindergarten students were vaccinated last school year.
Measles cases in the United States have surged to a 33-year high, with over 1,798 confirmed infections this year, according to data released Wednesday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The cases have resulted in the deaths of at least three people and have left 212 hospitalized. An alarming 92% of the cases were found in unvaccinated individuals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
