Published on
Among the 1,197 confirmed measles cases in the United States so far this year, about 3% have occurred in people who received 2 doses of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine and 2% in those who received 1 dose, according to an update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Now showing up in 35 states, measles cases have been confirmed in 347 people under the age of 5 years, 446 cases in those aged 5-19, and 393 in those aged 20 years or older with a few cases among those whose age was not known to the agency. Twelve percent (114 cases) have resulted in hospitalizations, and there have been 3 confirmed deaths. Since the peak of 116 new cases confirmed during the week of March 30, the weekly case count has decreased, according to agency data. Texas still leads the nation in terms of the number of cases (750 as of June 17), and the state has confirmed 21 of its cases are among people who received at least 2 doses of the MMR vaccine. Meanwhile, South Dakota is expanding its public vaccination sites as the state has now confirmed 4 cases of measles—1 of which was in a patient that had visited an urgent care in Rapid City.
Cases of the past: Over the past 25 years, the highest number of cases occurred in 2019 when 1,274 measles cases were confirmed. Even so, the current numbers pale in comparison to the measles outbreaks some 35 years ago, which reached a peak of 27,808 measles cases in 1990. Right around this time, the CDC updated its guidelines to recommend 2 doses of the MMR vaccine, rather than just 1, which contributed to the sharp decline in cases in subsequent years. No-cost vaccine programs were also significant contributors to improvement. By the year 2000, measles was declared eliminated.