CDC: U.S. Measles Cases and Outbreaks

This article in the New England Journal of Medicine reflects on mandatory measles vaccination in New York City, which was put into place after ensuing outbreaks in 2019. A $1,000 fine was the consequence for nonvaccination, and reactions were mixed from a rights-perspective. The piece outlines the differences between “mandatory vaccination” and “forcible vaccination” and their relationship to constitutional law. The author proposes alternatives for shifting norms around vaccination, such as eliminating nonmedical exemptions, that…

This article by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) examines global progress towards reducing child mortality by increasing measles vaccination coverage. It provides an update to a previous report by describing developments in immunization activities, disease incidence, disease and mortality estimates, and regional verifications of measles elimination from 2000 to 2018. During this period, the reported measles incidence decreased by 66% and annual estimated measles deaths decreased by 73%. Despite the declines…

This article in JAMA outline the costs of measles outbreaks in the U.S. beyond simple case counts, analyzing long-term immune issues from infection, monetary effects of outbreak response, and strain on health care infrastructure. The authors share that measles infection—which suppresses immune response for 2 to 3 years after infection—can make individual susceptible other infections in the future. From a financial perspective, measles response is costly, and can be high as $142,000 for a single…