Dr. David Higgins: When Measles Vaccination Rates Fall, It’s Not a Matter of If an Outbreak Will Occur, It’s a Matter of When

SIDNER This morning the ░░░░░░░░ of reported measles cases ░░░░░░░░ the U S is ░░░░░░░░ by CNN s count ░░░░░░░░ majority of those is ░░░░░░░░ the ongoing outbreak in ░░░░░░░░ New Mexico and Oklahoma ░░░░░░░░ are also on the ░░░░░░░░ around the globe now ░░░░░░░░ of under vaccination Experts ░░░░░░░░ that controlling measles abroad ░░░░░░░░ become harder with the ░░░░░░░░ Administration s recent global ░░░░░░░░ funding cuts That could ░░░░░░░░ have a huge impact ░░░░░░░░ in the states One ░░░░░░░░ told CNN and I ░░░░░░░░ quoting here For the ░░░░░░░░ States measles is only ░░░░░░░░ plane flight away Joining ░░░░░░░░ now is pediatrician Dr ░░░░░░░░ Higgins of the University ░░░░░░░░ Colorado medical campus there ░░░░░░░░ me first ask you ░░░░░░░░ we just be very ░░░░░░░░ clear Measles was all ░░░░░░░░ eradicated in the United ░░░░░░░░ Can you give us ░░░░░░░░ reason why we are ░░░░░░░░ here at this point ░░░░░░░░ we re seeing more ░░░░░░░░ 400 cases and a ░░░░░░░░ has died of measles ░░░░░░░░ Yeah So thank you ░░░░░░░░ having me on this ░░░░░░░░ to talk about this ░░░░░░░░ important issue We re ░░░░░░░░ the middle of a ░░░░░░░░ measles crisis right now ░░░░░░░░ for example last year ░░░░░░░░ reported its highest number ░░░░░░░░ measles cases in 25 ░░░░░░░░ And as you already ░░░░░░░░ here in the U ░░░░░░░░ we ve already reported ░░░░░░░░ cases in the first ░░░░░░░░ months of 2025 than ░░░░░░░░ all of 2024 And ░░░░░░░░ is a tragedy because ░░░░░░░░ is entirely preventable with ░░░░░░░░ Now the global surge ░░░░░░░░ measles that we re ░░░░░░░░ is due to two ░░░░░░░░ forces One is pandemic ░░░░░░░░ disruptions to vaccination programs ░░░░░░░░ in lower income and ░░░░░░░░ afflicted regions and growing ░░░░░░░░ hesitancy in wealthier countries ░░░░░░░░ as America And just ░░░░░░░░ global vaccination programs are ░░░░░░░░ to recover from Covid ░░░░░░░░ setbacks the U S ░░░░░░░░ pulling back support for ░░░░░░░░ immunization and measles prevention ░░░░░░░░ SIDNER What what can ░░░░░░░░ done right now to ░░░░░░░░ and prevent this from ░░░░░░░░ even further Because we ░░░░░░░░ on sort of the ░░░░░░░░ of an explosion of ░░░░░░░░ and a lot of ░░░░░░░░ don t think of ░░░░░░░░ as any big deal ░░░░░░░░ then you hear a ░░░░░░░░ has died from it ░░░░░░░░ Yeah So here in ░░░░░░░░ because of vaccines we ░░░░░░░░ t see measles very ░░░░░░░░ Vaccines are a victim ░░░░░░░░ their own success But ░░░░░░░░ is among the most ░░░░░░░░ viruses on earth far ░░░░░░░░ contagious than Covid 19 ░░░░░░░░ influenza And it is ░░░░░░░░ one of the most ░░░░░░░░ So for over 60 ░░░░░░░░ we ve had safe ░░░░░░░░ effective vaccines and these ░░░░░░░░ at preventing measles in ░░░░░░░░ communities But when vaccination ░░░░░░░░ fall it s not ░░░░░░░░ matter of if an ░░░░░░░░ will occur it s ░░░░░░░░ matter of when And ░░░░░░░░ is only a plane ░░░░░░░░ away Every imported measles ░░░░░░░░ that comes into the ░░░░░░░░ S enters a patchwork ░░░░░░░░ communities where vaccination rates ░░░░░░░░ falling and every single ░░░░░░░░ case is another spark ░░░░░░░░ can launch a measles ░░░░░░░░