2019–2020 measles outbreaks

The 2019 measles outbreaks refer to a substantial global increase in the number of measles cases reported, relative to 2018.[1] As of April 2019, the number of measles cases reported worldwide represented a 300% increase from the number of cases seen in the previous year, constituting over 110,000 measles cases reported in the first three months of 2019.[1][2] In the first half of 2019, the World Health Organization received reports of 364,808 measles cases from 182 countries, up 182% from the same time period of 2018 when 129,239 confirmed cases were reported by 181 countries.

Countries affected

In the United States, the number of measles cases was set to reach a 25-year high by the middle of the year,[3] beginning with a large concentration of cases in the Pacific Northwest followed by another in New York,[4] as well in the U.S. state of California with two quarantines ordered at two colleges in Los Angeles on April 28, 2019.[5] Other countries reporting large increases included Brazil, Nigeria,[6] Israel,[7] Ukraine, Madagascar, India,[3] and the Philippines. However, the largest and most fatal outbreak of measles in 2019 occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[8] Other notable outbreak locations include the 2019 Kuala Koh measles outbreak,[9] 2019 Philippines measles outbreak in Asia;[10] the 2019 Pacific Northwest measles outbreak[11] and 2019 New York measles outbreak in the United States;[12] 2019–2020 New Zealand measles outbreak,[13] and 2019 Samoa measles outbreak in Oceania.[14]

Contributing factors

In some countries, this outbreak has been fueled by lack of access to the measles vaccine, while in others it has been exacerbated by opposition to vaccination.[1] As one such example, the outbreak in the Philippines was attributed by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to lowered trust in the government's immunization drive due to a controversy regarding administration of a dengue vaccine.[15] The outbreak prompted President Donald Trump to shift away from his previous skepticism regarding vaccination, and to insist that parents must vaccinate their children.[16] The Trump Administration also took a forceful position of requiring vaccination, with Trump's Surgeon General Jerome Adams calling for limitations on exemptions to vaccination.[17]

See also

References
  1. Fore, Henrietta H.; Ghebreyesus, Tedros Adhanom (April 15, 2019). "Measles cases are up nearly 300% from last year. This is a global crisis". CNN.
  2. Soucheray, Stephanie (August 12, 2019). "Global measles outbreaks make 2019 a record-setting year". CIDRAP. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  3. Cohen, Elizabeth (April 15, 2019). "Measles reaches 2nd-highest level in U.S. in 25 years". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  4. Scutti, Susan (January 30, 2019). "Measles outbreaks in Washington and New York challenge public health systems". CNN.
  5. Drash, Wayne (April 28, 2019). "Measles quarantine issued at two California universities". CNN.
  6. "Global Measles Outbreaks". www.cdc.gov. January 9, 2020. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  7. "Measles - NYC Health". www1.nyc.gov.
  8. Catesby Holmes (October 19, 2019). "Outbreaks of measles: compounding challenges in the DRC". The Conversation. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  9. Fong, Loh. "Another six measles cases confirmed in Kg Kuala Koh, bringing total to 43". Toronto Star. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  10. Beaubien, Jason. "The Philippines Is Fighting One Of The World's Worst Measles Outbreaks". NPR. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  11. Galvin, Gaby. "Measles Outbreak Hits 40 Cases". US News. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  12. Soucheray, Stephanie. "US measles cases hit 1,234 as Brooklyn outbreak called over". Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  13. "New Zealand measles outbreak rises above 1,000 cases". BBC News. September 5, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  14. Forani, Jonathon (December 30, 2019). "Samoa ends state of emergency after 5,667 cases of measles". CTV News. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  15. "Measles outbreak declared in 3 more regions". ABS-CBN News. February 7, 2019. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
  16. Vazquez, Maegan (April 26, 2019). "Trump now says parents must vaccinate children in face of measles outbreak". CNN.
  17. "US Surgeon General visits Washington as measles outbreak spreads". KING. March 7, 2019.
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