Measles hits Massachusetts for first time in years

The latest: The Massachusetts Department of Public Health said an adult from Worcester County who had recently traveled internationally was diagnosed with measles this month.

• It's the first confirmed case of measles in the Bay State since 2020.
• People who have been in contact with the infected man have been contacted, DPH said.

What they're saying: "Cases of measles have been reported in 30 states since the beginning of last year, mostly in people and communities who are unvaccinated," Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein said in a statement.

Zoom out: According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 167 measles cases have been reported in the U.S. so far this year, making the Worcester County case number 168.

• 84% of the cases involved unvaccinated people or those with unknown vaccination status.
• Nearly half were under 5 years old and more than half ended up in the hospital.