Authorities declared measles eliminated in the US in 2000, a goal set in 1963 with the introduction of the vaccineWASHINGTON - The number of US measles cases has reached a 25-year high and the country risks losing its measles "elimination status" if current outbreaks continue, US health authorities said Thursday. Authorities declared measles eliminated in the US in 2000, a goal set in 1963 with the introduction of the vaccine. Measles is considered eliminated when there is an absence of continuous disease transmission for 12 months or more in a specific geographic area, according to the CDC. The US has never counted zero measles cases. Since 2000, the number has fluctuated between a few dozen and a few hundred cases per year, with 667 cases recorded during a 2014 outbreak in Ohio, especially in Amish communities.

Source: Bangkok Post May 31, 2019 00:56 UTC