Seven things to know about the recent measles outbreaks. Has the recent news about measles outbreaks in the US surprised you? Didn’t it seem like we were done with measles?
In the US, widespread vaccination halted the ongoing spread of measles more than 20 years ago, a major public health achievement. Before an effective vaccine was developed in the 1960s, nearly every child in the US got measles. Complications like measles-related pneumonia or hearing loss were common, and 400 to 500 people died each year.
As I write this, there have been 935 confirmed cases in 29 states, mostly among children. The biggest outbreak is in west Texas, where 89 people have been hospitalized and two unvaccinated school-age children recently died, the first measles deaths in the US since 2015. Officials in New Mexico have also reported a measles-related death.