The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has issued a warning regarding a rise in measles cases, prompting calls for increased vaccination efforts in the United States, according to experts. The alert comes as declining vaccination rates threaten to reverse decades of progress in controlling the highly contagious disease.
Patricia A. Stinchfield, RN, MS, CPNP, immediate past-president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), emphasized the severity of the situation. “When MMR [measles, mumps, and rubella] rates drop below 95%, measles outbreaks can ensue,” Stinchfield told IDSE. She added that PAHO’s recommendations represent a critical call to action for the U.S. To address the current outbreak with urgency.
Stinchfield, a pediatric nurse practitioner specializing in vaccine-preventable diseases, has dedicated 45 years to infectious disease prevention. She previously served as senior director of infection prevention and control at Children’s Minnesota, retiring from that role in July 2021, and currently works as an independent consultant. Her experience includes leading responses to the H1N1 influenza pandemic, the 2017 measles outbreak, and, most recently, the COVID-19 response at Children’s Minnesota.
Recent modeling analysis indicates a potential surge in measles cases, hospitalizations, and deaths linked to decreasing vaccination coverage. According to Stinchfield, nearly every unvaccinated child who contracts measles experiences complications. She is a widely recognized national expert on measles, having authored a 2020 NFID report on Vitamin A for the Management of Measles in the US.
Stinchfield has a long history of involvement in national immunization efforts, including serving as the first nurse voting member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and as a liaison member for the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) for 20 years. She has also focused on addressing vaccine hesitancy and improving vaccination rates among healthcare professionals, successfully increasing staff voluntary influenza vaccination rates to 94% and sustaining that level for multiple seasons at Children’s Minnesota.
The PAHO warning underscores the vulnerability of populations with low vaccination rates. The organization’s recommendations have not been publicly detailed beyond the call for increased urgency in addressing the outbreak.
