"Measles cases have surged worldwide to a 25-year high, due to low vaccine coverage and the spread of misinformation about vaccine safety. However, there is added concern in parts of Latin America over unequal access to healthcare and the worrying situation in the US, which is facing its worst measles outbreak in decades following a reversal of vaccine policy led by Donald Trump's health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr. The US's political position in relation to health and vaccination is an outrage, said Rosana Richtmann, an infectious disease doctor and coordinator of the Brazilian Society of Infectious Disease's immunisation committee. It's a problem for us."
"Measles was successfully eliminated from the Americas in 2016, and then again in 2024, but the continent is now at risk of losing its measles-free status. There have been 11,668 cases reported across 10 countries in North and Latin America, according to the latest data from the Pan-American Health Organization (Paho). More than half of these cases are in the US and Canada, with three deaths in the US and two in Canada so far. Mexico is the hardest-hit country in Latin America, with more than 4,800 cases and 22 deaths, followed by Bolivia with 354 cases. Other countries, including Brazil, Belize and Paraguay, are dealing with a few dozen infections linked to imported cases."
"People queue for vaccination at a Ciudad Juarez shopping centre near the US border. Mexico has had more than 4,800 measles cases. Photograph: C Chavez/AP"
Governments across Latin America are increasing vaccination efforts against measles amid a 34-fold rise in regional cases driven by North American outbreaks. Measles cases have reached a 25-year global high due to low vaccine coverage and widespread misinformation about vaccine safety. The United States and Canada account for more than half of 11,668 reported cases across ten countries in North and Latin America, with five deaths combined. Mexico reports over 4,800 cases and 22 deaths; Bolivia has 354 cases; Brazil, Belize and Paraguay report multiple imported-linked infections. The Americas' measles-free status, achieved in 2016 and 2024, is now at risk. Brazil launched a nationwide vaccination campaign for children and teenagers in October.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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