Elimination of measles achieved in the Americas

The Americas have become the first region in the world to have successfully eliminated the spread of measles through vaccination.

The International Expert Committee for Documenting and Verifying Measles, Rubella, and Congenital Rubella Syndrome Elimination in the Americas has announced that measles is now the fifth vaccine-preventable disease to be eliminated from the Americas, following smallpox in 1971, poliomyelitis in 1994, and rubella and congenital rubella syndrome last year.

Before mass vaccination was initiated in 1980, measles caused nearly 2.6 million annual deaths worldwide, with 101,800 deaths attributable to the disease between 1971 and 1979 in the Americas.

However, mass vaccination has effectively turned the tide, with transmission of the disease having been considered interrupted since 2002, when the last endemic case in the Americas was reported.

A review of data from all the countries of the region between 2015 and August 2016 has resulted in the decision that the established criteria for elimination have now been met. Only 244,704 measles cases were reported worldwide in 2015, the majority in Asia and Africa.

Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization director Carissa Etienne said: "It is critical that we continue to maintain high vaccination coverage rates, and it is crucial that any suspected measles cases be immediately reported to the authorities for rapid follow-up."

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