Measles Cases Spike in the United States
Measles cases have surged in the United States over the past three months, with a total of 64 cases reported across 17 states as of Thursday. This already surpasses last year’s total of 59 cases, raising concerns among health experts.
Outbreaks have been identified in various locations, including a migrant shelter in Chicago, an elementary school in southeast Florida, and a children’s hospital and daycare in Philadelphia. Most cases reported this year have been linked to international travel, with the majority affecting children who had not received the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a warning, stating that “pockets of low vaccination coverage leave some communities at higher risk for outbreaks.” Chicago has reported 33 cases, including 22 cases among children under age 5, related to an ongoing outbreak at a migrant shelter. Pennsylvania has seen nine cases from December to January, while Florida has recorded a total of 11 cases.
While experts are expressing concern about the rise in cases, the United States is still far from the total reported in 2019, when nearly 1,249 cases were documented. Measles, which was eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, remains highly contagious and can lead to severe complications.
Vaccination rates have declined in recent years, dropping from 95% of U.S. kindergartners receiving two doses of the MMR vaccine to 93% in the 2022-23 school year. Symptoms of measles include high fever, cough, conjunctivitis, runny nose, and a blotchy rash that spreads from the hairline to the rest of the body. Severe complications can include pneumonia, brain swelling, and secondary bacterial infections.
Before the measles vaccine was introduced in 1963, around 48,000 people were hospitalized, and 400 to 500 individuals died from the disease each year in the U.S. The recent surge in cases serves as a reminder of the importance of vaccination in preventing the spread of infectious diseases.
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