Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Lancet. 2012 Jan 14;379(9811):153-64. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)62352-5. Epub 2011 Aug 17.
Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by measles virus and is one of the most devastating infectious diseases of man--measles was responsible for millions of deaths annually worldwide before the introduction of the measles vaccines. Remarkable progress in reducing the number of people dying from measles has been made through measles vaccination, with an estimated 164,000 deaths attributed to measles in 2008. This achievement attests to the enormous importance of measles vaccination to public health. However, this progress is threatened by failure to maintain high levels of measles vaccine coverage. Recent measles outbreaks in sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and the USA show the ease with which measles virus can re-enter communities if high levels of population immunity are not sustained. The major challenges for continued measles control and eventual eradication will be logistical, financial, and the garnering of sufficient political will. These challenges need to be met to ensure that future generations of children do not die of measles.
麻疹是一种由麻疹病毒引起的高度传染性疾病，是人类最具破坏性的传染病之一——在麻疹疫苗问世之前，麻疹每年导致全球数百万人死亡。通过麻疹疫苗接种，在减少因麻疹而死亡的人数方面取得了显著进展，据估计，2008 年有 164000 人死于麻疹。这一成就证明了麻疹疫苗接种对公共卫生的重要性。然而，未能维持高水平的麻疹疫苗覆盖率威胁到这一进展。最近在撒哈拉以南非洲、欧洲和美国发生的麻疹疫情表明，如果不能维持高水平的人群免疫力，麻疹病毒很容易重新进入社区。持续控制和最终消除麻疹的主要挑战将是后勤、财政和获得足够的政治意愿。需要应对这些挑战，以确保未来几代儿童不会死于麻疹。
