Measles, once a rite of passage for thousands of children (and their parents), has largely been eliminated in this country, thanks to the MMR vaccine. How this happened is an illustration of herd immunity: that is, although not everyone is vaccinated against measles, enough people have been and as a consequence the virus has a hard time finding a new host. However, recent, small outbreaks in the U.S. have public health officials worried. The outbreaks mean that herd immunity is breaking down. Producer Barbara Bogaev visits Minneapolis, where a minor measles outbreak was a major cause for concern in the Somali immigrant community. Community pressures, social stigmas, and disputed medical reports all led to the breakdown of the herd.

"Measles: What's at Stake" is part of a Soundprint mini-series called The World of Viruses, produced in collaboration with the University of Nebraska State Museum. The series is supported in part by the National Institutes of Health. Here are some other programs in the series:

“Aids in Haiti” Produced by: Lakshmi Singh

“The Bucket” Produced by: Judith Kampfner

“The Clinic” Produced by: Gemma Hooley

“Flu Pandemic” Produced by: Lakshmi Singh

“Foot and Mouth Disease” Produced by: Judith Kampfner

“HPV: The Shy Virus” Produced by: Jean Snedegar

“Mosquitoes in Iquitos" Produced by: Dan Charles

Soundprint Executive Producer: Moira Rankin

Audio Engineer: Jared Weissbrot

Science Editor: Barbara Culliton

Production Assistant: Nkechi Mogekwu