The United States is poised to lose its measles elimination status for the first time in 26 years, when the country first eradicated the highly contagious childhood disease, numerous experts told The 74.
The announcement from the Pan American Health Organization is expected early next week and comes amid a deadly surge in measles cases and precipitously falling childhood vaccination rates.
“I think we will lose measles elimination status (and) I think we should,” said Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and co-inventor of the rotavirus vaccine.” He called it a “significant step backward for public health in this country.”
Such a move would be largely symbolic since “the fact of the matter is, measles has gained a foothold in this country,” he said. “This virus is going to continue to circulate this year, next year, the year after, until we get on top of it by having higher vaccine rates.”
Source: The 74 — Read the full article on the original site ↗