The Hill: The U.S. must act now to help stop the global measles surge
Kate Dodson, vice president for global health at the United Nations Foundation

“More than 140,000 people died last year from measles. That’s the headline coming out of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) today. … Our government must do more to make the vaccine as widespread globally as the measles virus is itself. … The U.S. government has been a long-time contributor to the Measles & Rubella Initiative … The U.S. has also been a steadfast supporter of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and its efforts to stop measles and reach the most marginalized with life-saving vaccines. … Through these collective efforts, measles vaccination alone is estimated to have helped save more than 23 million lives since the year 2000. This is a legacy the U.S. should be proud to contribute to — but we should also be the first in line to staunchly defend it. … I urge Congress to not turn its back on its strong legacy of protecting the health and wellbeing of those around the world, especially the most vulnerable, by swiftly passing fiscal 2020 appropriations bills that fund global measles prevention activities and fund U.N. agencies…” (12/5).