Dr. Jon K. Andrus, chief of PAHO's Immunization Unit, said, "As long as measles eradication is not pursued globally, imported or import-related measles cases will continue to occur in the Americas. However, the experience in several countries shows that, when high coverage with measles-containing vaccine exists, reliable detection and aggressive follow-up of suspect cases will limit the consequences of measles virus importations."
In fact eradication is being pursued in the Ukraine, but according to ProMED-mail, it has a checkered past:
The reasons for the outbreak and the predominance of illness among people aged 15 years and older are unclear, but it is consistent with what has been observed in Belarus, Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation, where a high proportion of measles cases are among persons 20-30 years of age. This older age profile could be due to lack of previous vaccination as a result of the extensive number of contraindications accepted in the former Soviet Union; falsified records; ineffective vaccine due to inadequate cold chain or poor quality control during vaccine production; a duration of immunity that is shorter than vaccines used in western Europe; or some other factor.
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