The True Cost of Measles Outbreaks During the Postelimination Era
2019
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 case based on the size of the outbreak, number quarantined, and amount of postexposure prophylaxis used. And finally, measles outbreaks, which are preventable, divert critical human resources from other regular health systems programs and functions.
The True Cost of Measles Outbreaks During the Postelimination Era
Source:
Sundaram ME et al. The True Cost of Measles Outbreaks During the Postelimination Era. JAMA 2019; 321(12): 1155-1156. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2019.1506.