summary
- The number of measles cases recorded so far this year is already three times higher than the entire 2023 total.
- According to the CDC, 188 cases of measles have been reported.
- Experts believe the trend is due to declining vaccination rates in the U.S. and increasing measles cases around the world.
The number of measles cases recorded this year is more than three times higher than the total for all of last year, with five months still to go.
According to data released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 188 cases have been reported in 26 states and Washington, D.C. No deaths have been reported, but 93 people have been hospitalized, most of them children under the age of 5.
There have been 13 measles outbreaks in the United States this year, the largest of which was Leaving a migrant shelter in Chicago It emerged in March and has been linked to more than 60 cases.
Measles cases have been reported this month in Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon and Vermont. The Massachusetts case is the state’s first since the start of 2020.
Last year, there were just four measles outbreaks in the United States, with a total of 58 cases.
This year’s total is Highest since 2019It was the year the country nearly lost its measles-free status. Most of the more than 1,200 cases that occurred that year were Spread of infection in Orthodox Jewish communities In New York.
“It’s certainly possible that this year could be even worse than 2019,” said Dr. David Hamer, a professor of global health and medicine at the Boston University School of Public Health. Highly unlikelybut.
Experts believe this year’s increase is due primarily to two factors: declining vaccination rates in the U.S. and an increase in measles cases worldwide.
About 85% of people who have contracted measles this year were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status, according to the CDC, and many of the cases are linked to international travel, meaning the disease was brought to the U.S. by travelers who were infected in another country.
“We live in an international community where vaccination rates around the world affect what diseases are transmitted in the U.S.,” said Dr. Erica Prochaska, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, “but the main issue is that in the U.S., our population is not meeting the vaccination benchmark.”
People infected with measles can spread the disease Up to 90% of people close to them If contacts are not immune, infection will continue, which is why public health officials recommend achieving at least 95% vaccination coverage in communities to prevent sustained transmission.
As of the 2022-23 school year, 93% of U.S. kindergarten students have received two doses of the measles, rubella, and mumps (MMR) vaccine, down from 95% in 2019-20. Twelve states and Washington, DC, have rates below 90%.
“What’s surprising to me is that the spread hasn’t been more widespread,” said Dr. Gregory Poland, founder and director of the Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group.
He added that some immunocompromised people are not eligible for the MMR vaccine, “so the rest of us need to get both doses.”
The United States virtually eliminated measles in 2000, meaning that measles is not always present, but outbreaks occur occasionally in other countries. Before the first measles vaccine became available in 1963, about 3 to 4 million people were infected and 400 to 500 people died from measles each year in the United States.
“It’s just faded from people’s minds as an important issue,” Hamer said.
The spread of misinformation during the pandemic has fueled vaccine hesitancy and contributed to the problem, he added.
Global measles vaccination rates are Fell during the pandemic This is the lowest level since 2008.
Hammer on the lockdown Vaccination services suspended Many low- and middle-income countries are mired in civil wars, which may be hampering vaccination efforts in countries such as Ethiopia and Yemen. accounts for a disproportionate share of the world’s measles cases.
“The end result is that many countries that were on the border of adequate coverage have scaled back their coverage of routine childhood vaccinations, including against measles,” Hamer said.
From 2021 to 2022, measles cases increased by 18% worldwide and measles deaths increased by 43%. According to the joint report: Report by CDC and World Health Organization. The number of countries experiencing large or significant outbreaks during this period increased from 22 to 37.
Common symptoms of measles Symptoms of measles include high fever, cough, conjunctivitis (pink eye), runny nose, white patches inside the mouth, and a rash that spreads from head to toe. About 1 to 3 out of 1,000 children who become infected with measles die from complications such as pneumonia and brain swelling.
