The second highest number of infections since the announcement of 2000 that the measles disease is “eliminated” has been recorded in the United States with 387 cases spanning 15 states since the beginning of 2019.
The first highest record was made in 2014 when 667 measles cases were reported across the country. The graph of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that 2019 passed last year as of March 28 in terms of outbreaks.
The states Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Washington have been reported with measles patients.
Outbreaks are currently ongoing in California, New Jersey, New York, and Washington, stated by the CDC.
Following the crisis of outbursts, Rockland County has banned non-vaccinated minors from public places. Rockland County was recorded with 153 measles cases as of Friday. Children should receive the MMR vaccine in two doses, first between ages 12-15 months, and a second between four and six years.
Symptoms of measles include: fever, cough, runny nose and red & watery eyes. Measles infection is contagious from one person to others from four days before its first rash through the fourth day after its onset.
Due to the Orthodox Jewish community, many parents refuse to vaccinate their children, leading to the large part seeing a reappearance of airborne disease. But it is important to note that the disease can be fatal in some instances.
The reported cases of measles are the result of travelers with measles from other countries such as Israel, Ukraine, and the Philippines. CDC reports that these are the areas where large outbreaks are occurring. Vaccination against measles is advised before traveling across many countries where it is considered as one dose is almost 93 percent effective in preventing infection. As per the CNN report, ever since the introduction of MMR vaccine in 1963, the number of measles cases and deaths from in the United States and other developed countries have dropped significantly.
