In 2000, measles was declared eliminated from the United States, meaning an absence of endemic measles transmission for 12 months or longer.
Since September 2018, New York state health officials have seen approximately 170 measles cases to include 55 confirmed cases in the Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn, 105 cases in Rockland County, 7 in Orange County and one in Monroe County in western NY.
According to the New York State Department of Health, the current outbreak is the largest in New York State since the 1990’s, prior to elimination of measles in the United States.
More than eight out of 10 cases in the current outbreak were unvaccinated and several other cases were undervaccinated.
More than 13,000 people, mostly young children, have been vaccinated over the past three months at state and county clinics. More than 40,000 educational flyers have been distributed to homes in the hardest-hit communities, and more than two dozen schools and daycare centers closed because of low vaccination rates, according to an NBC News report.
Vaccination is the best way to prevent measles. Anyone who has received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine is highly unlikely to get measles.
Israel measles update: Case count declines, Another death reported
Nationally through Dec. 1, the CDC has reported 292 individual confirmed cases of measles in 26 states and the District of Columbia.
Traveler from Israel with measles prompts exposure warnings in New York, New Jersey
- Portugal reports three ‘distinct’ measles outbreaks
- Oregon health officials report measles case: Patient was in Portland, The Dalles and Hood River
- Japan reports an additional 600 syphilis cases in past 4 weeks
- Influenza at ‘moderate’ levels in the UK
- Ohio hepatitis A outbreak tops 1,300 in 2018
- Florida: Duval County accounts for more than 1/3 of West Nile cases in 2018
