Cases of Measles At An All-Time High Since 2000

By Emily Beregovich

Measles outbreaks are hitting the world harder than ever, and the rise of an anti-vaccination mindset is likely to blame.

Ilene Tannenbaum, director of the Brooklyn College Health Clinic, told WBCR, “The resurgence of measles is alarming –and heartbreaking. This extremely contagious and potentially devastating disease is preventable. In fact, measles was considered eliminated in the U.S. in 2000. Misconceptions about the risks of disease and safety of vaccination are propagated despite multiple reliable studies demonstrating the safety and effectiveness of vaccination.”

The rising number of parents refusing to vaccinate their children has resulted in the rise of measles outbreaks. They have become significantly more common throughout 2018 and into 2019 in the United States, as well as several countries in Europe and Asia.

The World Health Organization (WHO) describes measles as “a highly contagious viral disease. It remains an important cause of death among young children globally, despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine.” According to the WHO and the Surgeon General, measles is transmittable via coughing and sneezing and “droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of infected persons.”

The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is a safe way to prevent a child from contracting these diseases, according to the CDC. Yet, many children go unvaccinated which has led to large outbreaks across the U.S. and other countries around the world. According to the CDC, the U.S. experienced almost 400 cases of measles in 2018, totaling 17 outbreaks- three of the outbreaks occurred in New York City, New York State, and New Jersey, respectively. This was the greatest number of cases in the U.S. since 2000. Many of the cases were based in ultra-orthodox Jewish communities, such as in Williamsburg and Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY, as said in a recent New York Times article. In 2019, as of February 21st, there have already been 159 reported cases of measles in the U.S. According to CNN, “As of October 5, most of the cases in the EU were reported from Romania (5,088 cases, with 33 deaths), France (2,702, with three deaths), Greece (2,289, cases with two deaths) and Italy (2,248 cases, with six deaths).” Outbreaks have also greatly affected Poland, Ukraine, and Serbia, collectively amassing approximately 37,000 cases and at least 29 deaths in 2018.

Though the MMR vaccine is very common, many parents refuse to vaccinate their children, resulting in these mass global outbreaks. An article from The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) stated, “The 4 categories [of reasons for not vaccinating] are religious reasons, personal beliefs or philosophical reasons, safety concerns.” Many parents cite extremely outdated and debunked scientific research articles, especially one of a doctor whose license has since been revoked.

Even though hundreds upon hundreds of research articles have proven vaccinating to be safe, parents still choose not to vaccinate their children, endangering the lives of many others around them.

“Those who avoid vaccinations put themselves, their children, and their communities at risk for serious illness.” said Tannenbaum. “This risk is greatest for very young children, people with conditions that impair their immune systems, and others who have simply not been vaccinated.”

Parents aren’t the only non-believers, as politicians, like Texas lawmaker Bill Zedler, have said they aren’t worried about the recent measles outbreaks.

According to USA Today Zedler said: “They want to say people are dying of measles. Yeah, in Third World countries they’re dying of measles… Today, with antibiotics and that kind of stuff, they’re not dying in America.”

Antibiotics are for treating bacterial infections, whereas measles is a viral infection which antibiotics would have no effect on. And according to the CDC, 1-2 per thousand people have died in the U.S. from measles. Not only are parents wildly misinformed, but politicians are as well, resulting in the continuing and overwhelming, ever-increasing measles epidemic around the world.