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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Measles, diphtheria, and polio are resurging in countries where vaccines once kept them under control. Two Pennsylvania residents recently died from measles, and Europe recorded its highest measles case count in nearly 30 years in 2024. Declining vaccination coverage, pandemic disruptions, and growing vaccine hesitancy are fueling dangerous immunity gaps across high-income nations.
Diseases once considered relics of the past are making an alarming comeback. Two Pennsylvania residents recently died from measles — a disease the US declared eliminated — as case counts surpassed 2,777 nationally. Europe saw 127,350 measles cases in 2024, the highest in nearly 30 years, while an unvaccinated 4-year-old died of diphtheria in Italy. A polio case in New York and wild poliovirus detected in German wastewater further underscore the trend.
The culprit isn't that vaccines stopped working — it's that fewer people are getting them. A landmark Lancet analysis of 204 countries found that while routine vaccination has prevented approximately 154 million child deaths since 1974, progress has stalled since 2010. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened an already-slowing trend, disrupting immunization programs in ways that haven't fully recovered. Vaccine hesitancy, healthcare access barriers, and social inequalities are all contributing factors.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: When vaccination rates dip, herd immunity erodes and even small pockets of unvaccinated individuals can spark outbreaks. Restoring coverage isn't just about catching up on missed doses — it requires targeted outreach, better surveillance, and rebuilding public trust in vaccines before more preventable deaths occur.
