Measles Outbreak 2019: Measles Nearing 1,000 Confirmed Cases In The US According To CDC

Thanks to the spread of anti-vaccination idea in combination with religious beliefs, measles has experienced a notable resurgence. The past year, alone, has seen the world hit with the biggest outbreak of measles since the turn of the century.

One of the biggest contributors to this outbreak has easily been the U.S., which is now approaching 1000 confirmed cases.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention released a statement on Thursday, revealing that the U.S. has reached 971 confirmed cases. This is the highest number of confirmed measles cases in the country since 1992, which saw 963 measles cases hit the U.S. for the whole year.

“Measles is preventable and the way to end this outbreak is to ensure that all children and adults who can get vaccinated, do get vaccinated. Again, I want to reassure parents that vaccines are safe, they do not cause autism. The greater danger is the disease the vaccination prevents,” CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said in the statement. He continued, “Your decision to vaccinate will protect your family’s health and your community’s well-being. CDC will continue working with public health responders across our nation to bring this outbreak to an end.”

The statement highlights New York State as a major contributor to the measles outbreak, with the state battling the disease for nearly eight months. Specifically, it mentions Rockland County and New York City which have both declared public health emergencies in efforts to combat the spread of measles, though not without pushback.

And despite declaring the virus eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, the CDC also made it clear the U.S. will lose its eliminated status if the outbreak continues through the end of 2019.