Why measles?

• Measles is ripe for elimination. Humans are its only host. Vaccination, available since the 1960s, is highly effective.
• Despite this eradication targets -- on a global and European level -- have been pushed back at least twice as vaccination levels have failed to reach the necessary level in countries such as France.
• An outbreak that started in 2008 brought the disease back on the French agenda. In 2018, Macron's government made 11 vaccinations compulsory for all newborns, including against measles.

Data limitations

1. Case numbers prior to 2008 are estimates recorded by Réseau Sentinelles, which was tasked to track the disease from 1985-2008.
2. Conflicting numbers: Santé Publique reports only 604 cases of measles for 2018. But Réseau Sentinelles for the same year estimated 3,977.
3. Vaccination coverage for 1986-1991 and 2008-2009 are estimates, calculated based off charts such as this one

Sources

1. Estimated measles cases, 1985-2008 Réseau Sentinelles, INSERM/Sorbonne Université
2. Declared cases of measles, 2008-2018 Santé Publique, Synthèse des données de surveillance de la rougeole du 1er janvier 2008 au 30 septembre 2019
3. Declared cases of measles 2019 Santé Publique, Rougeole Bulletin épidémiologique Bilan année 2019
4. Vaccination coverage among 2-year-olds 1985 Eurosurveillance, Vol07n04 April 2002
5. Vaccination coverage among 2-year-olds 1995-2007 L’état de santé de la population en France, Rapport 2011
6. Vaccination coverage among 2-year-olds 2010-2018 Santé Publique, Données de couverture vaccinale rougeole, rubéole, oreillons par groupe d'âge