Cases of Measles Continue Around the World, Even in Places Where It Has Been Eliminated

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many lives and health programs around the world. In developing nations, resources were shifted toward pandemic response and away from childhood vaccinations. . Older children have also gone without vaccines, and the results are now coming to light.

American Samoa, an overseas territory of the United States located in the South Pacific, has declared a public health emergency after a measles outbreak that infected 31 children between two months and 13 years old. One case has been laboratory-confirmed, while 31 more are suspected or probable. The emergency declaration is set to expire on May 24. The Department of Education has closed all schools until May 12, while parents can pick up their children's virtual learning materials and eligible meals at their respective school sites.

Kyrgyzstan, in Central Asia, . Like in other countries, the spike in measles cases is attributed to the decline in planned vaccination coverage during the pandemic. Similar increases in measles cases have also been observed in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Russia, and other Central Asian countries. In response, the country and several of its neighbors have launched vaccine “catch-up” programs for those children whose vaccination coverage has lapsed.

In Hawaii, exposed to the first case on April 10, 2023. The Department of Health is conducting contact tracing and has issued a medical advisory to identify, isolate and report suspected cases. Public health authorities are urging residents to check their vaccination status and consider getting caught up if they have not been vaccinated against measles.

In Kentucky, about 20,000 people who attended a religious gathering may have been exposed to measles. , an unvaccinated person who was contagious attended the gathering on February 17 and 18, 2023. Like in Hawaii, health authorities are asking residents who were at the same locations as the infected individual to check their vaccination status and, if unvaccinated, to quarantine for 21 days ().

Perhaps the worst place in the world when it comes to measles and the deaths and injuries it cases is the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The country faces periodic outbreaks of measles, often affecting tens or hundreds of thousands of children. According to Doctors Without Borders, . In DRC, security constraints, geographical challenges, and the high birth rate further compound the problem by making it difficult for the vaccine to be delivered.

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