Measles Makes a Comeback: What's Happening in North America?

Measles is back with a vengeance in North America. Canada just lost its measles-free status after a big outbreak. Over 5, 000 people got sick, and sadly, two babies died. Health experts are worried the U. S. might be next. The World Health Organization has three levels for how well a country controls infectious diseases. "Controlled" means vaccines are working well. "Eliminated" means only a few cases pop up when travelers bring the disease in. "Eradicated" is the gold standard—no cases anywhere for years. Only smallpox has reached that level.If the U. S. loses its elimination status, it means measles is spreading within the country, not just from travelers. This happens when too few people get vaccinated. Herd immunity needs about 95% of people vaccinated. But some places in the U. S. have rates in the low 80s, and that's not enough. These areas are seeing big outbreaks. Why is this happening? Experts say it's because fewer people trust vaccines. This is a big problem. Vaccines are one of the best ways to protect people from diseases like measles. But if people don't believe in them, outbreaks can happen. It's important to think about why trust in vaccines is dropping. Is it because of misinformation? Fear? Or something else? Understanding this can help fix the problem. For now, the focus should be on getting more people vaccinated to stop measles from spreading.