Expert warns humanity has entered new phase in battle against measles as cases spike worldwide
Philadelphia: A leading immunologist has warned of a "post-herd-immunity world" as measles outbreaks spread across communities with low vaccination rates in the U.S. Southwest, Mexico, and Canada.
The U.S. is experiencing its largest measles outbreak in 25 years, centered in West Texas, where two unvaccinated children and one adult have died. The virus has since spread to New Mexico and Oklahoma.
Dr. Paul Offit, an infectious disease expert at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told The Guardian, "We’re living in a post-herd-immunity world. Measles—the most contagious vaccine-preventable disease—is the first to come back."
The U.S. had eliminated measles in 2000, but elimination status is at risk if transmission continues for 12 months. As of May 1, the CDC reported 935 cases across 30 jurisdictions, with nearly one in three infected children under five hospitalized.
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Globally, measles cases are surging. The WHO reported roughly 2,300 cases in the Americas, with outbreaks in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. driving the spike. Europe has seen a tenfold increase in cases compared to 2023, with Romania accounting for 87% of infections. Declining vaccination rates are a key factor—only Hungary, Malta, and Portugal maintain 95% coverage for both measles vaccine doses.
In Mexico, health officials attribute the spread to imported cases, particularly in tight-knit Mennonite communities where limited interaction with public health systems has led to lower immunization rates. While Mennonite teachings do not prohibit vaccines, cultural isolation contributes to the problem.
Medical authorities, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, stress that measles has no cure—only prevention through vaccination, which is 97% effective.
With measles causing severe complications, including death (1 in 1,000 cases) and lifelong disability, experts urge renewed focus on vaccination to prevent further outbreaks in an increasingly vulnerable world.
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Robert F Kennedy Jr defended his management of the ongoing measles outbreak in the US, telling Republican senator Jerry Moran, of Kansas, that he’s urging people to get vaccinated against the virus, The Hill reports.
Moran asked Kennedy what the Department of Health and Human Services needed in order to best respond to the outbreak, which has surpassed 1,000 cases.
Kennedy said. "The best way to prevent the spread of measles is through vaccination. We urge people to get their MMR vaccines. I spent a lot of time with the Mennonites and the MMR vaccine has millions of fragments of human DNA in it, from aborted fetal tissues, and that’s a religious objection for them that I have to respect.
"We’ve done a better job at controlling measles since I came into this agency than any other country in the world. Today, we’re at 1,035 cases and we only added 27 cases last week."