The number of measles outbreaks is on the rise. In 2018, more than 80,000 cases were reported in the European region, representing a 3-fold increase from 2017. Despite the availability of an effective vaccine, some parents choose not to vaccinate their children, exposing them to this highly contagious viral infection and at risk of complications such as pneumonia (the most common cause of death for infected children), deafness and in rare instances eye disorders and meningitis. Further to this, unvaccinated women run the risk of stillbirths during pregnancy. A discredited study published in The Lancet in 1998, seized upon by the anti-vax movement, is largely to blame, and the movement is fueled by the reach and influence of social media.

In this month's Editorial, PLOS Medicine editors discuss this crisis and possible avenues for improving education and hopefully vaccination uptake.

Image Credit: James Gatheny, Judy Schmidt, USCDCP