Measles outbreaks demand systems-level action locally, nationally and globally

摘要

Reports of measles outbreaks are appearing in the news more frequently as we start to face an unfortunate emerging public health problem with no easy solution. The World Health Organization reported a 300% increase in cases of measles in the first 3 months of 2019, compared with 2018.1 There have been outbreaks in countries in all regions of the world, associated with many deaths, including 72 in Europe in 2018.1>2 More cases of measles have been reported in the United States so far in 2019 than in any year since the 1990s.3 Because it is well known that responding to measles outbreaks is enormously resource intensive and not cost effective compared with prevention,4 it is reasonable to ask why these outbreaks are happening and what can be done about them.