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Measles is back in the United States, WHO authorities say
Live Science · By Nicoletta Lanese ·
The Brief
- WHO authorities say measles is officially back in the United States.
- The U.S. had eliminated measles in 2000, meaning no continuous domestic spread for over a year at that time.
- The country had been free of the disease for more than 25 years before this determination.
Why it matters
Loss of measles elimination status signals sustained domestic transmission and waning population immunity, which affects public health planning and vaccination coverage assessments.
Who’s affected
- public health officials
- clinicians and vaccine providers
- anyone with a stake in US vaccination policy
Measles is officially back in the United States after the disease had been eliminated from the country for more than 25 years. The U.S. officially eliminated measles in 2000, meaning that at that time, the country had gone over a year without continuous domestic spread of the…
Timeline
U.S. officially eliminated measles, meaning over a year without continuous domestic spread
WHO authorities state measles is officially back in the United States
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Measles is back in the United States, WHO authorities say