Throwback Threats – Measles and Pertussis

In the year 2000, the US declared Measles eradicated, meaning this infectious disease had been nearly eliminated in our country. Much of this success was owed to comprehensive vaccination programs. Because Measles is so highly transmissible through casual contact, the threshold for “herd immunity”– the critical number of immune individuals it takes to slow the spread of contagious disease– is quite high, around 93-95%. That means about 95 out of every 100 people need to have antibodies against Measles (best achieved through vaccination) in order to slow its spread through a community. Young children are particularly susceptible to Measles complications, including pneumonia, encephalitis (swelling of the brain), and death. In children under 5 years old, more than half of Measles cases require hospitalization. In 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported over 2,000 Measles cases associated with 49 separate outbreaks. Of those with confirmed Measles, 89% were associated with an outbreak. This is significant because it proves that incidence increases where there are pockets of vulnerability (i.e. areas of low vaccination rates). Two examples of this are the current outbreak of Measles in South Carolina that has sickened nearly 800 patients, and last summer’s Texas outbreak that resulted in 762 cases of Measles and two pediatric deaths. The two-dose MMR vaccine series provides 97% protection from a severe case of Measles.  

Cases of Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, likewise surged after the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDC reported six times as many cases of Pertussis in 2024 as compared to 2023. Symptoms of whooping cough, as its name suggests, are mainly a choking cough that knocks the wind of the patient’s lungs and makes them gasp (“whoop”) when they can finally inhale after a coughing jag. It may also cause fever, cough-induced vomiting, and even death. For infants under one year of age, Pertussis often requires hospitalization for respiratory support, including supplemental oxygen or even reliance on a ventilator. Symptoms can linger for months after the initial illness. Protection against Pertussis starts at two months of age with the DTaP vaccine.  

Measles and Pertussis are dangerous, contagious, vaccine-preventable illnesses. They prey on the youngest and most vulnerable children. Serious illness is preventable by following the established childhood vaccine schedule. Populations with pockets of unvaccinated individuals create high-risk areas where herd immunity is not achieved and cannot protect those who rely on it most. 

#TBT