Dr. Iris Cardona, the Puerto Rico Department of Health's chief medical officer, warned that a sustained reduction in vaccination levels could open the door to new measles outbreaks and eventually allow the virus to circulate locally in Puerto Rico again. The warning follows a Metro Puerto Rico report on a study examining the possible impact of reduced vaccination in the United States, particularly the possibility that Florida could end the requirement of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine for school-age children.
In an interview with Metro Puerto Rico, Cardona explained that measles is one of the most contagious diseases in existence: an infected person can spread it to nine out of ten susceptible people nearby. While many people recover after several days, it can also cause dehydration, pneumonia, central nervous system complications and, in some cases, death.
Cardona said kindergarten vaccination coverage in Puerto Rico is about 96% in public schools and around 93% when private schools are included, a figure she called a "good shield," though below the 95% considered ideal to reduce community transmission risk. She noted community immunity also protects people who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons or have weakened immune systems, but cautioned that protection can weaken if more people opt out.
She urged parents with doubts to discuss vaccines with their children's pediatrician, stressing: "Measles is not a silly cold."