As of May 1, there have been 935 reported measles cases in the US. There are most likely many more unreported cases. At this rate, we will very quickly surpass the previous high of 1,274 cases reported in 2019.
Researchers from Stanford University and the Baylor College of Medicine released a study in JAMA last week that used modeling to estimate how many measles cases the country could see in the next 25 years under different vaccination scenarios.
At current levels, there could be more than 851,000 cases, 170,000 hospitalizations and 2,550 deaths, and measles would be endemic again, according to the models.
If MMR vaccination coverage dropped by 10%, researchers estimated there could be 11.1 million cases over 25 years. However, with a 5% increase in vaccination, there may be about 5,800 cases.
Measles was officially declared eliminated from the United States in 2000. However, the country will lose its measles elimination status if endemic measles virus transmission continues in a defined geographic area for 12 months or more.
There have also been 219 reported deaths in children from influenza this year, topping last year’s record high of 207 cases. These are not records we want to beat. The most likely cause is the decrease in the immunization rate this year.
And, not to be outdone, there have been 8064 reported cases of whooping cough and 2 infant deaths in Louisiana from this preventable infection in Louisiana. The first deaths from this infection since 2018. Cases of whooping cough increased by 400% from 2023 to 2024. Again, decreased immunization rates are largely responsible for these increases.
The bottom line… immunizations save lives.