From control to elimination: the research agenda for measles

Editorial Research on measles virology, epidemiology, vaccine and vaccination strategies has expanded in recent years. Measles mortality reduction has already contributed significantly to progress towards the achievement of the 4 Millennium Development Goal to reduce under 5 mortality by two thirds by 2015 compared with 1990 levels [1]. Interest in measles has increased with the increasing number of WHO regions (currently 5 out of 6, all except Southeast Asia) which have set time-limited goals to move from regional measles mortality reduction to the regional elimination of indigenous transmission. Indeed, the WHO Executive Board has requested studies on the feasibility of global measles eradication as a first step towards the possible establishment of a global goal [2]. Despite the abundance of research, there are a number of unanswered questions as we move towards a goal of measles elimination, many of which will be critical to achieving the elimination goal. We present here a list of research priorities from a programmatic and operational perspective.