‘The child is terrified’: Doctors on the front lines of a measles comeback speak out - Daily Kos
Measles cases in the U.S. have reached a 35-year high, leading to concerns that the country may lose its measles-elimination status. Public health experts attribute the surge to declining vaccination rates and warn of severe long-term health consequences.
Why it matters
The potential loss of measles-elimination status represents a significant regression in public health, signaling a broader crisis in vaccine uptake and disease control.
This isn’t just a bad year for measles. It looks to be the start of a bad era. Confirmed measles cases just hit a 35-year high, and it’s only July. Together with last year, the number of cases has exceeded the combined total over the previous 25 years. The vast majority of cases stem from domestic outbreaks fueled by low rates of vaccination—and rates are declining.
For the first time in a quarter century, the U.S. no longer meets a main criterion for having eliminated measles as a public health threat. That status hinges on sporadic outbreaks fizzling out within a year. Utah’s outbreak has lasted for longer, since June 2025 .
Nearly 400 people have been hospitalized with measles in the U.S. this year and last, three people have died, and at least three suffered brain swelling with lingering symptoms .
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