It’s Official: CDC Confirms Measles Outbreak Is Now The Worst One In 25 Years As Total Hits 695 Cases
Officials have long anticipated that this year would surpass past records, but the CDC on Wednesday confirmed that the country now has 695 cases, which tops the 667 cases in 2014. That makes this the nation's worst year for measles since 1994, with eight months still to go in 2019. There were 963 cases in 1994.
The Associated Press:
US Measles Cases Hit Highest Mark In 25 Years
Measles in the U.S. has climbed to its highest level in 25 years, closing in on 700 cases this year in a resurgence largely attributed to misinformation that is turning parents against vaccines. "This is alarming," said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University vaccine expert. Not only is measles dangerous in itself, but its return could mean other vaccine-preventable diseases seemingly consigned to the past may be coming back as well, he said. (Stobbe, 4/24)
CNN:
US Measles Outbreak Is Largest Since Disease Was Declared Eliminated In 2000
Wednesday evening, the CDC confirmed the milestone. In a statement the agency said that as of 3 p.m. Wednesday it counted 695 cases of the illness this year. This is a break from the CDC practice of updating measles numbers weekly on Mondays. The CDC said it will not update its website with this new number until Monday, as scheduled. (Howard, 4/24)
The Hill:
US Measles Cases Reach Highest Number Since Elimination In 2000
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the agency will undertake a comprehensive campaign to reinforce the message that vaccines are safe and effective. “Measles is not a harmless childhood illness, but a highly contagious, potentially life-threatening disease,” Azar said in a statement. “We have the ability to safely protect our children and our communities. The measles vaccines are among the most extensively studied medical products we have, and their safety has been firmly established over many years in some of the largest vaccine studies ever undertaken.” (Weixel, 4/24)
The New York Times:
Measles Outbreak Infects 695, Highest Number Since 2000
Most cases are linked to two large and apparently unrelated outbreaks. One is centered in Orthodox Jewish communities in New York City and its suburbs; that outbreak began in October and recently spread to Orthodox communities in Michigan. The other outbreak began in Washington State. “The longer these outbreaks continue, the greater the chance measles will again get a sustained foothold in the United States,” the C.D.C. said in a statement. (McNeil, 4/24)
The Washington Post:
Measles Outbreak: U.S. Measles Cases Surpass Previous Record, Highest Since 2000
This year, as in the past, officials say the majority of people in the U.S. who have fallen ill were unvaccinated. In some communities, anti-immunization activists have spread false claims about the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, causing concern among parents about inoculating their children. When many people in a community have not been vaccinated, the disease can spread quickly. The CDC said misinformation about the safety of the vaccine is “a significant factor contributing to the outbreaks in New York."” The agency said some organizations, which it did not name, are “deliberately targeting these communities with inaccurate and misleading information about vaccines.” (Sun, 4/24)
The Wall Street Journal:
U.S. Records Highest Number Of Measles Cases In 25 Years, CDC Says
The Brooklyn measles outbreak began last fall in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. Some 83% of the measles cases are concentrated in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn in four ZIP Codes where the city has ordered mandatory measles-mumps-rubella vaccinations for all people, with fines for noncompliance. The city said Wednesday that 12 people have received summonses for not complying with the emergency order. People who receive a summons are given a hearing and could face a $1,000 fine, with a higher fine if they don’t appear for the hearing. The city started issuing summonses last week. (McKay and West, 4/24)
The Hill:
New York Officials Confirm 31 New Measles Cases In Less Than A Week
New York City health officials on Wednesday said they have confirmed 31 new cases of measles in less than a week, including two pregnant women, inching the United States closer to a record. Officials said they also issued summonses to 12 parents for failing to vaccinate their children, a violation of an emergency order from the city’s public health department. (Weixel, 4/24)
Reuters:
Millions Of Children Miss Measles Shots, Creating Outbreaks-UNICEF
More than 20 million children a year missed out on measles vaccines across the world in the past eight years, laying a path of exposure to a virus that is now causing disease outbreaks globally, a United Nations report said on Thursday. "The measles virus will always find unvaccinated children," said Henrietta Fore, executive director of the United Nations children's fund UNICEF, adding: "The ground for the global measles outbreaks we are witnessing today was laid years ago." (4/24)
