Measles cases in the United States have soared to 1,046, with infections confirmed in 30 states. This information comes to us from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which updated its data on Friday.
Reports indicate that the states affected by this outbreak include Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.
The significance becomes clear when we consider that infectious disease experts suggest the U.S. is on track to surpass the 2019 total of 1,274 cases. This year’s total also marks the second-highest case count in a quarter of a century.
According to reliable sources at the CDC, 12% of measles patients in the U.S. this year have been hospitalized, the majority of whom are under age 19. Furthermore, the evidence suggests that approximately 96% of measles cases are among those who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.
Both sides of this issue present compelling arguments. However, it is worth noting that 1% of cases are among those who have received just one dose of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine, and 2% of cases are among those who received the recommended two doses, the CDC reports.
This development follows earlier reports that at least three deaths have been confirmed this year, two among children and one among an adult, all of whom were unvaccinated.
This raises important questions about the risk to the public, especially in light of recent reports that an unvaccinated traveler with measles may have exposed people at Denver International Airport and a nearby hotel.
The CDC currently recommends that people receive two doses of the MMR vaccine. The first was administered at ages 12 to 15 months, and the second between 4 and 6 years old. The CDC states that one dose is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective against measles.
To understand this fully, we should note that measles was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000 due to a highly effective vaccination program, according to the CDC. But vaccination rates have been lagging in recent years.
Dr. Scott Roberts, an assistant professor at the Yale School of Medicine and medical director of infection prevention at New Haven Hospital stated, ‘There are now many areas of the U.S. where we don’t hit that 95% [immunity wall] and it’s much lower than that, and I think we’re seeing the consequences.’
The importance of accuracy and truth in this matter is paramount, especially given the misinformation that has arisen around the MMR vaccine, such as a link between the vaccine and autism, which has been debunked by several high-quality studies. Measles cases continue to rise, and public health officials brace for further spread of the disease.
