County surveillance failed to detect that measles transmission reached epidemic threshold in schools

nature - Nature Medicine, Published online: 20 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41591-026-04612-2A nationwide analysis of measles vaccination records from more than 50,000 US schools shows that measles transmission risk crossed the threshold that can lead to epidemics at…

AI Summary: A new analysis found county-level vaccination and surveillance figures can mask concentrated measles transmission within particular schools and districts, allowing outbreaks to meet epidemic thresholds undetected. Researchers warn that aggregated data obscure local hotspots, hampering targeted vaccination and school-based interventions needed to stop spread before it becomes a community problem.