Presentation of the webinar Between urgency and resilience: culturally aware strategies to address measles outbreaks

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The webinar addressed the increase in measles cases in the Americas, with more than 5,600 cases reported in 2025. The United States, Mexico and Canada account for the majority, affecting mainly unvaccinated people. Response tactics such as ring vaccination, mass campaigns and the strengthening of active surveillance were discussed. The risk of losing measles-free status was also discussed.

The second part of the webinar focused on cultural understanding of Low German-speaking Mennonite communities. It was explained that their low vaccination coverage is not due to religious objections, but to cultural factors such as collectivism, family discretion in medical decisions, distrust of the state and a strong orientation towards personal relationships. The importance of respectful and culturally adapted strategies, based on trust, to promote vaccination and prevent future outbreaks was emphasized.