Measles a highly contagious virus that can cause serious complications, including pneumonia, brain swelling, and death. It was declared eradicated in the U.S. in the year 2000 but has resurfaced, with over 700 cases reported so far this year. What are the causes of this latest outbreak? Despite a long history of vaccine success, recent declines in MMR vaccination rates have made populations vulnerable again. Historically, vaccination efforts drastically reduced measles cases, but global travel and misinformation now threaten that progress. Listen now to find out the facts, history, and factors contributing to the currentmeasles outbreak in the U.S.

References:

Centers for Disease Control. (9 May, 2024). History of measles. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. [website, accessed 8 April, 2025]  https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/history.html

Center for Disease Control. (4 April, 2025). Measles cases and outbreaks. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. [Website, accessed 8 April, 2025] https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html

Park, G. Y. S., & Tishkowski, K. (2021). Paramyxovirus. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK567794/

Centers for Disease Control. (15 July, 2024). Clinical overview of measles. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. [website, accessed 8 April, 2025] https://www.cdc.gov/measles/hcp/clinical-overview/index.html

Berche, P. (2022). History of measles. La Presse Médicale, 51(3), 104149. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0755498222000422