The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a warning on Monday amid an uptick of measles cases — both globally and domestically.
The alert is titled “Increase in Global and Domestic Measles Cases and Outbreaks: Ensure Children in the United States and Those Traveling Internationally 6 Months and Older are Current on MMR Vaccination.” The advisory itself, which is intended for public health officials and clinicians, notes that the disease is “highly contagious.” In the last three months alone — from January 1 to March 14, there have been 58 confirmed cases of the measles in the U.S., according to the federal health agency.
This includes “seven outbreaks in seven jurisdictions compared to 58 total cases and four outbreaks reported the entire year in 2023.” Further, it noted the vast majority of the cases, 93 percent, are linked to traveling internationally. Ultimately, the CDC is pushing more MMR vaccinations.
The CDC continued:
Most cases reported in 2024 have been among children aged 12 months and older who had not received measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. Many countries, including travel destinations such as Austria, the Philippines, Romania, and the United Kingdom, are experiencing measles outbreaks. To prevent measles infection and reduce the risk of community transmission from importation, all U.S. residents traveling internationally, regardless of destination, should be current on their MMR vaccinations. Healthcare providers should ensure children are current on routine immunizations, including MMR. Given currently high population immunity against measles in most U.S. communities, the risk of widescale spread is low. However, pockets of low coverage leave some communities at higher risk for outbreaks.
The warning comes as Chicago, Illinois, experiences an uptick of measles cases in the city, some of which are linked to a migrant shelter. As Breitbart News reported:
Officials say the child of an illegal border crosser had contracted the communicable disease, but it wasn’t detected until after the child was already non-contagious, meaning the entire 1,876 migrants in the shelter had been exposed to the disease for weeks prior to the announcement, NewsNation reported Friday.
According to the city’s dashboard, there have been 15 cases of measles among Chicagoans this year, including two in the last week.
Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Olusimbo “Simbo” Ige said they are “trying to get it under control by vaccinating as many people as possible.”
WATCH — Chicago Health Commissioner: Measles Outbreak Isn’t Under Control Yet, We’re “Trying” and It’ll Take Time:
Signs of the measles include a rash, fever, cough, and runny nose. According to the CDC, the rash typically appears 3-5 days after the first symptoms show up.
