The number of confirmed measles cases in the United States reached 1,288, according to data published Wednesday by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the highest level since this infant disease was declared eliminated from the country in 2000.
The status of “eliminated” is assigned when no continuous propagation of the disease has been observed for more than a year. According to CDC data, cases of measles in the United States had not reached such a level since 1992, the year when 2,126 cases had been identified.
The Department of Health and Social Services (HHS), which oversees the CDC, said that the risk of infection by measles remains low for the American population as a whole, but that it is much higher in communities where vaccination rates are low and in the regions affected by active homes of the disease.
The epidemics observed this year are mainly linked to a drop in vaccination rates, especially in children in states such as Texas and New Mexico, where vaccination coverage fell well below the 95 % threshold necessary to guarantee collective immunity.
The CDC continues to provide technical assistance, laboratory support and provide vaccines to respond to these epidemics, said HHS.
“The United States is at risk of losing its status to eliminate measles if the current rate of cases continues,” said William Moss, pediatrician at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
The country had already exceeded the threshold of 1,000 cases of measles in May. Although the propagation of the infection has slowed down since, it has still won neighboring states.
“It is true that the progression curve has flattened somewhat … but it is difficult to predict the future development of the situation,” added Mr. Moss.
Experts urge public health officials to urgently promote highly effective vaccines. According to the CDC, the measles vaccine, mumps and rubella (ROR) offers an efficiency of 97 % after two doses.
“The CDC continues to recommend the ROR vaccine as the best protection against measles,” said HHS.
Disinformation, especially concerning the safety of the measles vaccine, has also undermined public confidence.
Parallel data published Friday by the Center for the Response to Epidemics of Johns Hopkins have also shown that the number of measles cases in the United States exceeded the previous record of 1,274 cases recorded in 2019.
