The Americas Are Declared Free of Measles
Global health experts at the Pan American Health Organization in Washington, D.C. declared this month that the Americas are free of measles…another victory for public health and preventive medicine efforts. This is both a testament to the effectiveness of immunizations and a reminder of their importance in controlling infectious diseases. Children in the United States receive the measles vaccine as part of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine at 12 to 15 months and again at 4-6 years.
Measles or rubeola is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus. It begins with a cough, runny nose and fever. Three to five days after the onset of symptoms a rash appears usually on the forehead and then spreads downward to the rest of the body and out to the extremities. Health care providers can often identify measles by the characteristic red spots with white centers (known as Koplik’s spots) that can be seen inside the mouth and precede the rash by two the three days.
While the Americas are the first region in the world to have eliminated measles, twenty million cases still occur annually worldwide. Since the measles virus can still be imported from other parts of the world where the infection is still endemic, it is important to continue vaccinations for children in the Americas. While most cases of measles are mild, severe complications can occur, including ear infection with hearing loss, pneumonia, encephalitis and even death.