The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) announced on Tuesday that America has officially lost its status as a measles-free zoneThis is a health achievement that the continent has achieved twice, but it is now threatened by major outbreaks in Canada, the United States, Mexico, and also in Argentina.
In conversation with Qatari riyalthe program he hosts Pablo Caruso in Bravo TVscientific journalist Nora Barr He warned of the danger of a health setback. Yesterday, the Pan American Health Organization announced that we have lost the status of a measles-free continent. America was the first continent to have this status twice, but now, because of very important outbreaks – especially in Canada, the United States and Mexico – and because there has been an outbreak in Argentina as well, all the alarms are off. He noted that there are already about 5,000 cases recorded in Canada.
Barr stressed that measles is a highly contagious and potentially dangerous disease, and is believed to be under control thanks to vaccination. It is one of the most infectious diseases that exist: One person can infect up to 18. The virus is transmitted through the air and can cause pneumonia, encephalitis, blindness and even death. He explained that it can be prevented by vaccines, but many young pediatricians have never been able to treat cases because the virus has not spread for years.
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Measles has been eradicated but not eradicated from the continent: this means that there has been no sustained local transmission, although there may have been imported cases. However, declines in vaccination coverage in recent years, combined with the expansion of anti-vaccine movements in many countries, have created the conditions for their resurgence.
According to data from the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization, regional coverage of DDT (which prevents measles, rubella and mumps) must exceed 95% to avoid an outbreak. In many countries in the region, this level has fallen below 85%, leaving large groups of the population vulnerable.
In Argentina, the Ministry of Health recently confirmed the discovery of isolated cases, and warned that “the risk of recurrence and transmission of the measles virus is high,” in a global context witnessing an increase in the disease. Barr added that health workers are very concerned. We are talking about a disease that can be prevented with a vaccine that is available and proven to be safe and effective. We cannot afford to go backwards.
The World Health Organization also warned that measles cases in the world increased by nearly 80% last year, with more than 300,000 notifications in 2024, and stresses that vaccination remains the most effective tool to avoid deaths and serious complications. The return of measles to America represents not only a health threat, but also a wake-up call about the need to rebuild trust in science and vaccines, in a context where misinformation spreads as quickly as viruses.
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