What Is Measles?
Measles is a very infectious and contagious viral disease caused by the measles virus. It usually starts with fever, eye infection, runny nose, and skin rash. Later it can affect the respiratory system and nervous system. Despite the availability of an effective and safe vaccine, it remains a cause of death significantly worldwide.
Measles symptoms
- Skin rash – red rash starting from the face then spread into the trunk.
- White spots inside the mouth – also known as Koplik spots.
- Sore throat
- Red eyes (Conjunctivitis)
- Runny nose
- Fever
- Cough
The symptoms usually last for ten to twelve days after the exposure to the virus. But skin rash lasts seven to fourteen days after exposure to the virus.
Can We Eradicate Measles?
The world has only truly eradicated two diseases one is smallpox. In 1977, and the other is Rinderpest in 2011. Measles is one of the very few diseases that meet the essential criteria for eradication.Â
The following factors are in favor of measles eradication (eradication criteria)
- Due to the presence of classical rash in measles, it is easily diagnosed by many physicians without any laboratory investigations.Â
- The vaccine for measles is very safe and effective.
- Immunity against measles after vaccination is very prolonged and durable.Â
- The measles vaccine is not so costly.Â
- No animal host helps the virus to hide.Â
But unfortunately, this disease is not yet entirely eradicated from the world, but a sizeable geographic area reveals that eradication of measles is very feasible. Developed countries, with their financial support and the developing countries with their proper management, can eradicate measles from the world.
What Are The major Measles Eradication Programs Going On In The World?
Developed countries as well as some developing countries like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh made their strong policies on review of national data. They make it essential to give the measles vaccine with mumps and rubella as MMR to the children in their early years to make it very practical and control the spread of measles in their country.
Every country wants to eradicate every disease and also this contagious disease from its area; many programs will eliminate the disease like smallpox wholly eradicated from the world. The first program launched in 1982 to eliminate measles since then, measles satisfied all criteria required for eradication. The western part of the world spends a lot of money to give impetus for measles eradication; they pay a high amount to make their geographic area free from measles until all the world is free from measles.
The vaccination program is launched in every country that desires to eradicate the disease from their homeland. Prevention of local transmission of measles virus is the main program every country and every region wants to obtain. Still, unfortunately, out of six areas globally, only one is successful in achieving this goal, this one region includes countries such as Bhutan, DPR Korea, and Timor-Leste, etc who have eliminated measles.
In some developing countries, the introduction of free vaccination at homes and birth by the world health organization is an excellent initiative to eradicate the disease. Unfortunately, most people who are not well educated become the sole cause of transmission of measles because they don’t volunteer themselves for the measles vaccination.
Why Measles Is Not Yet Eradicated?
Eradication of a disease is not so easy. Having several challenging features like ‘Reproductive Rate’ makes the measles more contagious and difficult to eradicate. The Reproductive Rate of measles is usually nine to eighteen. Because of the presence of undetectable cases, it becomes the cause of the enormous spread of measles.
The presence of the measles virus in the air for a long time is also a significant cause of transmission and spread. Nasocomial spread is highly documented, and many states do not need immunity certificate against measles from many of their employees, which become an issue against the spread of measles.
Vaccination of measles is recommended to be effective and safe to introduce at nine months of age. Still, on admission, most medical centers do not administer the vaccination routinely to children.
Research suggests that the Supplemental Immunization Activities need to be very good and effective, but unfortunately, these are not following the leads of polio or smallpox SIAs in all respects.
In some countries, Ethno-linguistic minorities or religious personalities object to vaccinations which causes the population not to be completely vaccinated. The unvaccinated people of the specific area become the cause of transmission of the measles virus.
The management system is also a widespread cause of deficiencies and issues against eradication. Emerging countries have no financial support to help their people to inject costly vaccines. Still, in polio and smallpox, many developed countries and the agencies help those countries and administer a lot of vaccines to their people. The deficiencies in the financial support to those countries become the leading cause against the eradication of measles.
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When Measles Will Be Finally Eradicated?
Recent research on complete eradication reveals that most of the world and most developed countries are free from measles. Most developing countries are still suffering from measles and become the leading cause of measles transmission. A large area including the countries like Bhutan, DPR Korea, and Timor-Leste, etc is free from measles. The time has come when we can say the scientist and humanity have successfully eradicated the third infectious disease after smallpox. Still, polio is also on its way to elimination from this world. Many countries help the emerging country by providing financial aids and vaccination to become measles-free, and the world is free from this contagious disease.
A report said that only 1 case was reported annually from a million in America in 1997. The information can show the incidence rate of measles in a developed country. Still, unfortunately, the incidence of measles in developing and emerging countries is high in the presence of effective vaccines.
Conclusion
Eradication needs a lot of time. If we say eradication is in the next few years, then we are wrong. Eradication of measles should require at least some decades until all the programs working in the world are successful, and vaccination is highly effective with 100% efficacy. We can successfully eradicate this contagious disease from our world.
