The re-emergence of measles in developed countries: Time to develop the next-generation measles vaccines?

摘要

Measles is the most transmissible infectious disease known in humans, and remains one of the top causes of death in children worldwide. Even in highly developed countries, measles kills approximately three of every 1000 persons infected. While no treatment exists for measles, prevention in the form of vaccination has been available since the 1960s. Despite the significant global morbidity and mortality of measles, considerable progress is evident. Just a decade ago, in 2000, measles killed an estimated 777,000 people a year worldwide. In 2010, measles killed only 160,000 worldwide—a testament to widespread use of vaccine.