Combating vaccine hesitancy and other 21st century social determinants in the global fight against measles

•After decades of progress towards global measles elimination, there has been an abrupt reversal in measles public health gains in multiple nations.•Key determinants are driving the return of measles including war, political instability, food insecurity, and a rise in antiscience.•In the United States, the antivaccine movement has emerged as a dominant force on social media, e-commerce platforms, and the political front.•A new ‘vaccine diplomacy’ will be required to overcome these hurdles and resume progress in measles control and elimination.