The global
measles vaccination program has been extraordinarily successful in reducing
measles-related disease and deaths worldwide. Eradication of
measles is feasible because of several key attributes, including humans as the only reservoir for the virus, broad access to diagnostic tools that can rapidly detect
measles-infectious persons, and availability of highly safe and effective
measles-containing
vaccines (MCVs). All 6 World Health Organization (WHO) regions have established
measles elimination goals. Globally, during 2000-2018,
measles incidence decreased by 66% (from 145 to 49 cases per million population) and deaths decreased by 73% (from 535 600 to 142 300), drastically reducing global disease burden. Routine immunization with MCV has been the cornerstone for the control and prevention of
measles. Two doses of MCV are 97% effective in preventing
measles, qualifying MCV as one of the most effective
vaccines ever developed. Mild adverse events occur in <20% of recipients and serious adverse events are extremely rare. The economic benefits of
measles vaccination are highlighted by an overall return on investment of 58 times the cost of the
vaccine, supply chains, and vaccination. Because
measles is one of the most contagious human diseases, maintenance of high (≥95%) 2-dose MCV coverage is crucial for controlling the spread of
measles and successfully reaching
measles elimination; however, the plateauing of global MCV coverage for nearly a decade and the global
measles resurgence during 2018-2019 demonstrate that much work remains. Global commitments to increase community access to and demand for immunizations, strengthen national and regional partnerships for building public health infrastructure, and implement innovations that can overcome access barriers and enhance
vaccine confidence, are essential to achieve a world free of
measles.