Dr. Nancy Messonnier, the director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC, said that there is a “reasonable” chance that the United States will soon be losing its measles-free status.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declares a region or country measles-free if it has gone for at least a year without a continuous spread of the disease.
In 2000, the US declared the elimination of measles after spending years to promote widespread vaccination. In 2016, the WHO declared the elimination of measles from the United States altogether.
However, both of these achievements are about to be undone after a global resurgence of measles due to vaccine misinformation and anti-vaxxers.
The ongoing measles outbreak in the United States has sickened over 1,200 people since January. The CDC reported 12 new measles cases this week. Health officials expect a steep rise in measles as the schools are going to start.
Infectious Disease expert Dr. William Schaffner from Vanderbilt University told CNN, “We’re embarrassed. We’re chagrined.”
Dr. Messonnier told CNN, “It certainly is incredibly frustrating and upsetting to the public health community that we may lose measles elimination status because we do have a safe and effective vaccine.”
Earlier this month, the WHO declared that the UK lost its measles-free status.
Dr. Mary Ramsay, the head of immunization at Public Health England, said, “Losing our ‘measles-free’ status is a stark reminder of how important it is that every eligible person gets vaccinated.”
Dr. Schaffner and other public health officials have blamed vaccine misinformation and themselves for about-to-lose measles-free status. They said they did not take quick action and were not effective enough to protect people from the infectious disease.
On Wednesday, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “Misinformation about vaccines is as contagious and dangerous as the diseases it helps to spread.” “I call upon them (media) to do more to filter out misinformation and inaccuracies that prevent people from achieving health and well-being,” added Dr. Tedros.
