J Infect Dis

BackgroundAlthough measles was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000, measles cases and outbreaks continue to occur, resulting from importations of the disease from countries where it remains endemic.MethodsWe describe the epidemiology of international importations of measles virus into the United States during the post-elimination era.ResultsFrom 2001 to 2016, 553 imported measles cases were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A median of 28 importations occurred each year (range: 18\u201380). The median age of imported case-patients was 18 years (range: three months\u201375 years); 87% were unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status. U.S. residents (as opposed to foreign visitors) accounted for 62% of imported measles cases. Overall, 62% of all imported case-patients reported travel to countries in the Western Pacific and European Regions of the World Health Organization during their exposure periods. The number of measles importations from specific countries was related to the incidence of measles in and the volume of travel to and from the source country.ConclusionsOur findings emphasize the importance of measles vaccination of U.S. residents aged 656 months before international travel according to Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations and supporting global measles elimination efforts.20192020-04-19T00:00:00ZCC999999/ImCDC/Intramural CDC HHS/United States30535027PMC6474820756