NPR - The U.S. has reported 1,288 cases of measles this year, marking the highest number of cases in 33 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The last time the U.S. experienced more cases was in 1992, eight years before the disease was declared eliminated in the country.
The vast majority of those who have been infected this year were unvaccinated, says NPR’s Maria Godoy. According to the CDC, a 95% vaccination rate threshhold is needed in order to prevent outbreaks in a community. Across the U.S., kindergarten vaccination rates against measles have been falling for years and are currently just under 93%. The drop comes as vaccine hesitancy has grown. As a result, outbreaks are becoming more frequent and larger, Adam Ratner, a pediatric infectious disease doctor in New York City, told Godoy.
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