CDC Reports Most Measles Outbreaks Across the United States Since 1996

There have been measles outbreaks in a number of states dating back to January 1. Now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have totaled 13 outbreaks and 129 cases of the viral respiratory disease.

As of April 18, the CDC documented measles cases in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin, and Washington. This has been the most documented cases in the United States since 1996.

Although the spread of measles has been a global problem recently, perhaps a bigger concern is that a majority of those who were diagnosed in the U.S. were either not vaccinated or did not know if they were vaccinated. Sometimes a test is needed to see if someone needs revaccination. To be exact, the CDC says 84% of those infected fell under this category.

Some parents refuse to get their children vaccinated, since celebrities in the news such as Jenny McCarthy and Kristin Cavallari stated that they are wary of vaccinations link to autism spectrum disorder. ASD in the United States has dramatically increased from 1 in 88 children to 1 in 68 children over the course of four years, which has led many to be concerned over whether vaccinations can be attributed to that.

Despite that claim, previous studies have shown no such link, and medical experts and doctors urge parents to vaccinate their children. When a disease outbreak occurs in an urban area, the spread could be dangerously unprecedented because of the clusters of people in the city. California reported the most measles cases with 58 and many were in San Francisco, and New York reported 24 with all occurring in New York City.

Many diseases such as measles are resurfacing due to the lack of vaccinations across the United States. Mumps has infected over 250 people in central Ohio over the past few months and the CDC also reported seeing more cases of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, another respiratory disease cause by a bacterium.

The only way to help stop the prevalence of these diseases is to stay clean, wash your hands, and make sure you're vaccinated with the Measles-Mumps-Rubella immunization, which is administered when children are 12-15 months old and then again when they're 4-6 years old.