Measles outbreak reaches worrying milestone as doctors reveal what 99% of infected people have in common

Measles outbreak reaches worrying milestone as doctors reveal what 99% of infected people have in common 

America's measles crisis reached an alarming milestone, with more cases in the first three months of this year than the entire 2024. Officials at the CDC have confirmed at least 301 cases in 14 states so far, the vast majority of which are concentrated in Texas and New Mexico. The outbreak there has seen 294 cases since late January, which is higher than the total nationwide tally for 2024 (285 cases). It is also the highest tally nationwide since 2019, when 1,274 measles cases were reported following an outbreak in an Orthodox Jewish community in New York. More than 99 percent of the people infected this year have been unvaccinated, and most were children. So far, 34 patients have been hospitalized in Texas, and two deaths have also been reported, marking the first measles fatalities since 2015. The CDC has said that the measles vaccine is the best way to avoid catching the virus — it reduces the risk of infection 97 percent.Gaines County is the epicenter of the Texas outbreak, with 174 cases confirmed among residents. In a neighboring community in New Mexico, there have also been dozens of cases. State health data shows the number of vaccine exemptions in Gaines County has grown dramatically in the last dozen years. Most of the new infections are among religious groups There are also two suspected cases in Oklahoma in individuals who recently returned to the state from the center of the outbreak.An unvaccinated child with no underlying health conditions died of measles in Texas in February. Another death of an unvaccinated adult in New Mexico is under investigation. Measles is the most infectious disease known to man, with one person capable of infecting more than a dozen unvaccinated people. The CDC says 14 states have confirmed measles cases this year: Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont and Washington. The growing outbreak is the first major challenge for U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic. Source