Cases of Measles Hit All-time High in 2011 – Are Unvaccinated Kids to Blame?
by Jennifer Chait, 04/20/12
In 2000 measles was considered eradicated from the U.S. In fact, from 2001 to 2010 there were just 60 U.S. measles cases a year on average. However, last year, cases of measles reached an all-time high in the United States with a total of 222 reported cases. This is the most measles cases ever since 1996, according to the CDC. Among the 222 cases, reported across 31 states, there were 17 official measles outbreaks. An outbreak is when there are at least three cases linked by time and place. The average outbreak size last year included six cases per outbreak, but in one instance, a single person with measles infected 21 other people. This week, Anne Schuchat, director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, reported that most of these cases (90%) came into the country via citizens who had traveled outside the U.S., with many of the 2011 cases originating in Europe. That said, the CDC is placing new emphasis on the importance of the MMR vaccination, especially if you plan on traveling abroad. Schuchat says, “Unvaccinated people put themselves and others at risk for measles. There is a relationship between the decisions families make and disease rates.”
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