WASHINGTON – The Centers for Disease Control says the United States is in the midst of a “large, ongoing outbreak” of measles.
From January 1 to January 28, 2015, 84 people from 14 states were reported to have measles. Most of these cases are an outbreak linked to an amusement park in California. On January 23, 2015, the CDC issued a Health Advisory to notify public health departments and healthcare facilities about this multi-state outbreak and to provide guidance for healthcare providers nationwide.
The United States experienced a record number of measles cases during 2014, with 644 cases from 27 states reported to CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). This is the greatest number of cases since measles elimination was documented in the U.S. in 2000.
According to the CDC, the majority of the people who got measles were unvaccinated. Measles is still common in many parts of the world including some countries in Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and Africa, and travelers with measles continue to bring the disease into the U.S. Measles can spread when it reaches a community in the U.S. where groups of people are unvaccinated.