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U.S. Measles Infections Breaks Record Since 2022

New U.S. government data reveals an ongoing spread of measles infections across 18 states, with a total of 125 reported cases. This surpasses the number of cases reported throughout the entirety of 2022, the most recent peak year for measles infections, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC reported that, as of now, there have been seven outbreaks this year, with 69% of cases linked to these outbreaks. In comparison, 2023 saw four outbreaks, with 48% of cases being outbreak-related. Despite this increase, CDC officials do not anticipate that measles cases will surpass those seen in 2019, when outbreaks in unvaccinated communities in New York drove the annual total to a record 1,274 cases—the highest since the 1990s. Current estimates suggest that the United States may see around 300 measles cases this year, which remains elevated compared to recent years.

Illinois has been particularly affected by measles outbreaks this year, notably with a significant outbreak in a migrant shelter in Chicago in March. While the outbreak has slowed following intensive vaccination efforts, Massimo Pacilli, deputy commissioner for the Chicago Department of Public Health, acknowledged reports of vaccinated individuals contracting measles during the outbreak due to the virus’s rapid spread within the densely populated shelter environment.

Despite a decline in infections within the shelter, the city issued a warning to doctors about a growing number of cases in the region unrelated to the shelter. Additionally, the CDC highlighted the ongoing threat of measles “importations” through unvaccinated international travelers, posing a renewed risk to the U.S.’s status of having eliminated local transmission of the virus, a milestone achieved in 2000.

The CDC emphasizes the importance of swift detection of cases, immediate implementation of control measures, and maintaining high vaccination coverage to prevent measles and its complications and to uphold the U.S.’s elimination status.