Measles cases in U.S. down, but many were preventable

Public health officials call for greater attention to travel as a health issue and vaccination for those going to measles-endemic areas.

By Victoria Stagg Elliott, AMNews staff. Sept. 19, 2005.

Public health officials are sounding an alarm because, although the national number of measles cases is at an all-time low, a significant tally of them appear to be preventable.

A new study, published in the Aug. 26 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, found that of the 251 cases occurring between 2001 and 2004, 100 could have been prevented because they occurred among U.S. residents who fall within groups recommended to receive the vaccine. These people who were unprotected then either traveled to areas where the disease is endemic or had contact with someone who did.

"This is something we need to worry about," said Alison Rue, MPH, lead author and an officer in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Epidemic Intelligence Service. "Measles is still a risk."

Physicians called attention to the significant work that has made these numbers so low but also pointed out that it may still be possible to reduce further the incidence.

"There's a lot of good news in the paper," said Jonathan Sugarman, MD, MPH, a family physician and president of Qualis Health, a quality improvement organization in Seattle. "But it also serves as a reminder that in the crush of things to do, measles vaccine is really important, and we need to keep measles on the radar screen for travelers."

Experts note, however, that there are significant barriers to more progress in lessening the number of preventable cases among adults and children.

For adults, one such hurdle is the lack of attention paid to vaccinations for this age group.