Neither country has been able to stop continuous spread of the highly contagious virus within the past year.
  • trashcan@sh.itjust.works
    18·
    2 days ago

    There are multiple criteria for losing an official measles elimination status, including the declines in vaccination rates observed in both countries.

    But the most significant factor is having ongoing measles transmission for a full year.

    “To really say that a country has lost the status, it takes 12 months of continuous transmission with the same genotype and the same strain of the virus,” said Daniel Salas, an immunization expert with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

    Canada hit that mark this week.

    USA hits one year in January.