A Measles Resurgence?

By Teddy RosenbluthI write about health.The United States declared victory over measles 25 years ago.And yet one of the worst outbreaks since then is ravaging Texas and New Mexico.For now, it isn’t a threat to most Americans.

But there’s a reason this is happening — and why the next measles epidemic could be even worse.In today’s newsletter, I’ll explain the virus’s possible resurgence in America.Beating measlesDerailing this virus was a decades-long project.The United States began administering a vaccine in 1963, soon after its invention.

At the time, the disease infected nearly all children before they turned 15.Why did containment take so long? Because measles is one of the most contagious viruses on the planet.In a hypothetical community where nobody has immunity, each person with measles can infect up to 18 others.But this graphic by my colleague Jonathan Corum shows what happens when enough people are vaccinated:...