The Return of Measles: A Wake-Up Call for Public Health
Year: 2025 | Competency/Strategic Skill: Public Health Fundamentals | Priority Topic: Other Infectious Diseases | Setting: Online | Format: Live | Sponsor: Emory University/Central Office; Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance (ARC IPC); Deep South Center for Occupational Health and Safety; and Alabama Statewide Area Health Education Centers (AHEC)
Overview:
This is a live webinar on April 3, 2025, from 1:00 pm ET (12 pm CT).
This webinar will address the ongoing threat of measles, examining recent outbreaks and their potential impact on public health. It will also highlight the critical role of vaccination in preventing this highly contagious disease and explore how vaccine hesitancy contributes to declining immunization rates, offering strategies to overcome this challenge.
Maria Rueda-Altex, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Pediatric Infectious Diseases attending at Children’s of Alabama. She is also the Director of Pediatric Transplant Infectious Diseases at UAB. She serves as AAP Early Career Liaison to the Red Book Online Committee and is a guest editor for the Journal of Pediatrics.
Learning Objectives: By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
- Explore the current global and regional trends in measles outbreaks, including the factors contributing to its resurgence and the potential public health consequences.
- Discuss the critical role of vaccination in controlling measles, emphasizing its effectiveness in preventing outbreaks, protecting vulnerable populations, and achieving herd immunity.
- Analyze how vaccine hesitancy contributes to declining immunization rates and provide evidence-based strategies to address misconceptions and increase public trust in vaccines.
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31680, Public Health Training Centers for $4,348,992. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.