(NEW YORK) — Measles cases in the United States are continuing to rise after breaking a decades-long record just two weeks ago.
There are now 1,319 confirmed measles cases across 39 states, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated Wednesday. This is the highest nationwide measles figure seen since 1992.
National cases are more than 4.5 times higher than the entirety of last year, which had an estimated 285 cases reported.
So far, two children and one adult have died from the virus this year, the first deaths from measles in a decade. About one to three of every 1,000 children infected with measles die from respiratory and neurologic complications, according to the CDC.
An overwhelming majority of this year’s cases — 92% — are among those who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown, CDC data shows.
Measles was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000 due to a highly effective vaccination program, according to the CDC
Childhood vaccination rates to protect against measles have been declining in recent years, CDC data shows.
The rate of kindergarteners receiving state-required vaccinations dropped from 95% in the 2019-2020 school year to less than 93% in the 2023-2024 school year, according to CDC data. A 95% threshold is the ideal level to protect for herd immunity, public health experts note.
This leaves about 280,000 U.S. kindergarteners, or 7.3%, without protection from the virus.
A measles vaccine became available in 1963. Prior to that, nearly all children got measles by the time they were 15 years old. It led to an estimated 500 deaths and 48,000 hospitalizations each year before the shot was widely available, according to the CDC.
Children in the U.S. are recommended to receive the two-dose measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine with the first dose at 12 to 15 months of age and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective, the CDC says.
A booster shot is not typically recommended for adults who already have immunity from the virus through vaccination or prior infection.
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