In the U.S., measles becomes endemic again after 26 years of eradication... Looks like it will lose its status as a clean country

As measles infections continue in the United States for more than a year, it is expected that the United States will lose its status as a 'measles-free country' for the first time in 26 years.

The daily New York Times (NYT) reported on the 10th (local time) that measles has reached the level of an endemic disease in the United States.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 5,182 measles infections were reported this year alone. This is the highest figure in 25 years since 1991.

Additionally, analysis of measles pathogen genetic data showed that this transmission chain lasted for more than a year.

For example, the measles outbreak in Utah and Arizona last July was linked to a group infection in Texas a year ago, and one of the cases was confirmed to have spread from Utah to Oregon and Washington.

“This alone is strong evidence that measles has been spreading for more than a year,” said Bill Hanage, co-director of the Center for Infectious Diseases at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Measles, which was confirmed in Virginia early this year, also spread to Iowa, Indiana, and Pennsylvania in the middle of last month.

Fred Hutchison Cancer Center's J.T. “Measles is highly contagious and spreads easily,” said biologist Macron. “The United States has many connected communities, so the virus can jump from one group to another, maintaining a chain of transmission.”

Accordingly, it appears that the United States will soon be stripped of its status as a measles-free country.

Clean country status is granted only when the spread of the currently prevalent measles virus has been suppressed for at least 12 months. The United States has maintained this status since 2000.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Americas, plans to convene an expert panel to discuss officially revoking the country's status as a measles-free country. The final decision will be announced on the 17th of this month.

A decline in vaccination rates is considered to be the cause of the sudden measles epidemic in the United States.

Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. has expressed skepticism about the measles vaccine, and the immunization rate for U.S. children fell to 92.4% last year. The vaccination rate required for group immunity is 95%.