Pennsylvania faces largest measles outbreak in decades as case count rises to 1,000
Neighboring states are also reporting hundreds of cases, with over 3,800 recorded across the country Pennsylvania has surpassed 1,000 measles cases this year, state health officials calculate, making it the largest state outbreak in more than three decades. The benchmark comes as neighboring New York declared a state of emergency about measles rates there. Pennsylvania’s health department said…
Pennsylvania has recorded 1,004 measles cases this year, its largest outbreak in over three decades. The state's health department reports 198 hospitalizations and five deaths associated with the disease. Neighboring New York has declared a state of emergency due to its own measles outbreak.
Lancaster County, with 391 cases, is the hardest hit area in Pennsylvania. According to the state's health department, fewer than 1% of cases are among those fully vaccinated with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The age range with the highest number of infections is 24-49.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently lists two measles deaths in the US this year, but Pennsylvania's governor and the US health secretary have disagreed on how to classify measles-related mortality. The state has expanded access to the MMR vaccine in affected communities.
Brief written by urgent.news from The Guardian US, The Hill, Guardian Health, ABC News (US) — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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