CDC Records 38 New Measles Cases As Ongoing Outbreak Exceeds 2,500 Mark in US

Today, the federal health agency Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) shared that it recorded 38 more cases of measles this week. The surge in cases comes as the immunisation rate of the MMR vaccine among children in the US has gone down notably. 

Measles Outbreak: CDC Records 38 New Measles Cases  

The Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) shared its weekly update today & siad that it recorded 38 new individual measles cases. As a result, the ongoing measles outbreak in the US officially stands at 2,566 confirmed cases.  

This marks a significant rise from last week, when there were 2289 confirmed cases of measles. The CDC also noted that measles cases in the US have hit a historic 35-year high. A total of 38 measles outbreaks were reported this year, according to the data from the CDC. 

Measles Outbreak: Cause of the Outbreak 

An official cause of the ongoing measles outbreak in the US has not been shared yet. But it is most likely due to the fact that immunisation coverage of the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine has dropped significantly. 

One shocking report claimed that measles vaccination in the US had dropped by 95%, while the CDC shared that 93% of all individuals infected in the current outbreak were completely unvaccinated or had an entirely unknown vaccination history.  

Measles Outbreak: List of Affected Areas 

According to the CDC, the ongoing Measles outbreak has affected the following US states: 

• Alabama, 

• Alaska, 

• Arizona, 

• California, 

• Colorado, 

• Connecticut, 

• Delaware,

• District of Columbia, 

• Florida, 

• Georgia, 

• Idaho, 

• Illinois,

•  Indiana,

•  Iowa, 

• Kansas, 

• Kentucky, 

• Louisiana, 

• Maine, 

• Maryland, 

• Massachusetts,

•  Michigan, 

• Minnesota, 

• Missouri, 

• Montana, 

• Nebraska, 

• New Jersey, 

• New Mexico, 

• New York City, 

• New York State, 

• North Carolina, 

• North Dakota, 

• Ohio, 

• Oklahoma, 

• Oregon, 

• Pennsylvania, 

• Rhode Island, 

• South Carolina,

•  South Dakota, 

• Tennessee, 

• Texas, 

• Utah, 

• Vermont, 

• Virginia, 

• Washington, 

• West Virginia, 

• Wisconsin, 

• Wyoming 

Measles Outbreak: American Authorities Response 

American authorities are treating the ongoing measles outbreak with urgency. In some of the heavily affected states like Pennsylvania & South Carolina, local school boards are executing strict “exclusion protocols” (Unvaccinated students exposed to a confirmed case are legally barred from entering classrooms for a 21 day quarantine period). 

 While some state health departments are deploying mobile medical vans and setting up emergency walk-in clinics. The CDC’s Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics has now deployed a tool called the Measles Outbreak Simulator. The agency is also probing the ongoing outbreak.