Measles in the Shadow of Disinformation The current measles outbreak is often attributed to low vaccine coverage, but its causes are more complex than that. The U. S.
's last major outbreak in 1989 1991 was marked by widespread distrust in vaccines and misinformation about their safety.
Public health officials faced a crisis in the late 80s: despite the availability of an effective measles vaccine introduced in 1963, cases continued to rise due to low vaccination rates.