Charted: The big measles surge
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This chart shows what it looks like to hit a 30-year high in measles cases — and why the U.S. is on track to lose its measles "elimination status."
Why it matters: We've all heard that cases are on the rise, but the reality is that they're skyrocketing.
- It started with an outbreak in West Texas, and now infections are reported in nine states and hundreds are in quarantine due to a major surge in South Carolina.
- More than 9 out of 10 cases were among unvaccinated people or those with unknown vaccination status, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What they're saying: On Tuesday, Ralph Abraham, a top CDC official, told reporters that the end of the measles elimination status in the U.S. would be "just the cost of doing business, with our borders being somewhat porous [and] global and international travel," Stat reported.
Driving the news: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other Trump administration officials have downplayed the health risks of the virus, and at times they've spread misleading claims about the MMR vaccine.
- They only said later that the MMR vaccine was the "most effective way" to prevent the transmission of the virus.
- South Carolina is one of two major outbreaks in the U.S., along with a region on the Utah-Arizona border. Both are outlying areas where vaccination rates were below the 95% threshold public health authorities say is necessary to contain the virus' spread.
What we're watching: The risk of spillover increased with holiday travel. North Carolina and Ohio reported infected individuals who traveled to the outbreak epicenter.
- The Texas outbreak, which was declared over in August, involved at least 762 cases, mostly in children. There were two deaths, marking the first measles fatalities in a decade.
