The return on measles and how this once eradicated disease is making an epic comeback

Once long gone and considered a thing of the past – measles is back in America. The childhood disease that was usually easily contained by a simple shot along with vaccinations for mumps and rubella, used to ensure that our communities and the general population enjoyed herd immunity and remained for the most part safe from these once dangerous and highly-contagious diseases.

But things have changed, and this year America has set a record … unfortunately taking public health a few steps back along with it.

“Less than two weeks ago, the number of measles cases reported in 2019 broke the previous recent annual record, beating 667 cases reported in 2014. At the time, that was the highest number of cases reported since the disease was eliminated in the U.S.”  May 06, 2019 – ABC News

It’s a two-pronged problem and not so easy to unravel, first of all:

• Is it a matter of effective communication?
• Is public health losing the battle to online fake news?
• Are parents taking for granted the value of vaccinations?
• Does government need to intervene with mandatory immunizations?

As well, there’s the bigger picture to consider…

• Who isn’t getting vaccinated and why?
• What’s the risk to the general population?
• And who are the compromised people who justifiably can’t be immunized and what threat does this pose to them?

There are a lot of questions out there as well as a lot of false information – and that’s where our experts can help.

Dr. Jessica Smith Schwind researches emerging infectious diseases in global health settings. She is an expert in the areas of epidemiology and disease detection.

Dr. Melissa Carrion is an Assistant Professor in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies and her current research is focused on maternal vaccine refusal and what are the common messages and experiences that influence these decisions.

Both are available to speak with media regarding this issue – simply click on either icon to arrange an interview.