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PubMed · 42502260

The return of measles: a dangerous comeback.

Katia C Halabi
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Abstract

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Measles has reemerged as a significant global public health threat, with increasing morbidity and mortality associated with declining vaccination rates. This review summarizes current global outbreaks, history of measles, vaccination and elimination status, vaccine hesitancy, and outbreak response and lessons learned highlighting different novel digital epidemiological tools. RECENT FINDINGS: Measles continues to surge worldwide with an estimated 11 million infections in 2024, which is more than prepandemic levels. Developing and developed countries are both facing measles outbreaks, with the United States at risk of losing measles elimination status. Recent studies have showed that worldwide percentages of two-dose measles vaccination were lower than 95% that is required to interrupt measles transmission in all WHO regions. Novel epidemiological tools such as interactive simulators, real-time use of dynamic models, serosurveillance, and others are transforming measles outbreak response and enable earlier outbreak detection, tracking, and targeted public health interventions. SUMMARY: Vaccine hesitancy is one of the top global health threats and developing a tailored evidence-based approach is necessary to establish and maintain measles elimination.

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HumansMeaslesDisease OutbreaksMeasles VaccineGlobal HealthVaccination HesitancyVaccinationDisease EradicationCOVID-19 pandemicmeasles outbreaksmisinformationoutbreak responsevaccine hesitancyJournal ArticleReview

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Katia C Halabi. 2026-07-22. The return of measles: a dangerous comeback.. https://doi.org/10.1097/qco.0000000000001222

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Journal Article; Review resourceGlobal Health subjectHumans subjectJournal Article subjectMeasles subjectMeasles Vaccine subject

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