United States Sets New Record for Most Measles Cases in a Year Since Disease Was Eliminated

The CDC has reported that the U.S.’s measles case total has surpassed the record set in 2019 for the most cases in a year since the disease was eliminated. CIDRAP has the news.

1,288 cases have been reported in the U.S. this year as of the last tally. 92% of those cases have occurred in people who are unvaccinated or have unknown vaccination status.

Alarmingly, one-third of measles cases “have been reported in those ages 20 and older,” showing that the disease attacking exclusively younger or school-aged children is a misconception. A large outbreak in West Texas was mainly to blame for the uptick in measles cases initially, but “smaller outbreaks have now been reported from multiple states, along with numerous infections in unvaccinated people who traveled abroad.”

Meanwhile, South Carolina has reported its first case of the year in an unvaccinated resident who was exposed to the disease during international travel. In Missouri, a case cluster was also identified, as three family members of the state’s first measles patient have now contracted the disease.

HPN previously reported this week on the climb in measles cases.