7.4.2: Measles, Mumps, and Rubella
There are hopes that measles, mumps, and rubella can also be eliminated or eradicated entirely, since humans are the only host for these viruses. The MMR combined vaccine is 78%-97% effective at preventing these infections depending on how many doses are administered (currently, the CDC recommends 2 doses for most). However, sometimes outbreaks can still occur - mostly among the unvaccinated, but sometimes even in highly vaccinated communities. These outbreaks will typically cause milder illness for those who are vaccinated ( Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) Vaccination , 2023).
Although measles was declared eliminated (no longer endemic) in the U.S. since 2000 ( Measles Elimination in the U.S. , 2023), there have still been several concerning outbreaks, and in the last few years a growing concern regarding misinformation and vaccine uptake (Santhanam, 2024). In the 2022-2023 school year, the average vaccination rates for kindergarteners in the U.S. were 93%, down 2 percentage points from 2019-2020. Vaccine exemptions also rose to 3% - mostly non-medical. This is concerning because if exemptions climb to 5% or greater, then population immunity is likely impossible and there is a much higher risk of outbreaks, and losing progress toward elimination (Seither et al., 2023). Perhaps since so few people in America experience these diseases anymore, the public has gained the perspective that there is no longer any need to vaccinate against them. The “Anti-Vax” movement which began with Wakefield’s faulty research (see Chapter 5), saw growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has likely also been a cause of increasing exemption requests (Santhanam, 2024).