Study: Measles Outbreak That Infected 72 People Cost Society $3.4 Million

A Pediatrics study analyzes the economic ripple effect of an outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease, measles, that took place over four months in a Washington state county. The study, “Societal Costs of a Measles Outbreak,” published in the April 2021 Pediatrics (published online March 12) estimated that the outbreak that sickened 72 people cost $3.4 million ($47,479 per case or $814 per contact) when taking into account the direct and indirect costs. About $2.3 million of the costs were incurred by the public health response to the outbreak, followed by productivity losses (about $1 million), and direct medical costs ($76,000). The measles outbreak took place in Clark County, WA., between December 31, 2018 and April 26, 2019, and required resources to identify cases and prevent measles among contacts at the local, state and national levels. In addition to the costs of responding to and controlling an outbreak, direct medical costs and productivity losses were incurred by individuals who contracted measles or who were subject to quarantine. Measles can cause severe illness and death and is especially dangerous for infants and young children. In 2019, the United States experienced the greatest number of cases reported since 1992 and since measles was declared eliminated in 2000, resulting in nearly losing elimination status. The authors suggest their findings are valuable for policy makers and public health stakeholders for determining budgets, improving vaccine coverage and preparing for disease outbreaks.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.