Canada Loses “Measles Elimination Status” as Outbreaks Continue
Canada has officially lost its measles elimination status. This means the virus has spread continuously for over a year. The US could be next to lose its hard-earned measles elimination status due to the ongoing outbreaks throughout the country.
Through successful vaccination efforts, Canada eliminated measles in 1998, and the US achieved this milestone in 2000. In 2016, the Americas region as a whole became the first world region eliminate endemic measles. Scientists calculated that the measles vaccine prevented 6.2 million deaths in this region between 2000-2023. Unfortunately, vaccination rates have fallen below the 95% threshold required to stop the virus from spreading in the community.
Full Story: The Associated Press, CIDRAP
Measles Outbreaks Expand in Arizona, Utah and South Carolina
The Utah-Arizona measles outbreak has surged to 182 cases. Arizona reported 17 additional infections last week, increasing the state’s total to 128 measles cases. In Utah health officials confirmed 7 new cases, raising the state’s total to 74 infections. This growing cluster of cases is the second biggest outbreak in the US this year, the largest being the West Texas outbreak that caused over 762 illnesses and three deaths.
The outbreak in South Carolina also continues to grow. State health authorities confirmed 8 new infections in Upstate South Carolina, increasing the state’s total to 46 cases.
Full Story: CIDRAP
