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Measles

Measles Cases in the US Triple Last Year's Count, With 188 Cases Reported This Year Alone

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

US health officials are warning that the number of measles cases reported so far this year has already tripled the count from last year, with 188 cases confirmed in 26 states and Washington, D.C. as of July 2024. The CDC has reported that 93 people have been hospitalized, mostly children under the age of 5, which is a concerning trend that may be linked to declining vaccination rates in the US. Experts attribute the rise in cases to vaccination rates in the US, which are below the recommended 95% threshold, and international travel, where American travelers are infected in other countries.

Key Takeaways:

  • 188 measles cases have been reported in the US so far this year, triple the number of cases seen in all of 2023.
  • 93 people have been hospitalized, mostly children under the age of 5, due to measles complications.
  • 85% of people who contracted measles this year were either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status.
  • The largest measles outbreak in 2024 occurred in a migrant shelter in Chicago, where 60 cases were reported.
  • The US has not reached the recommended measles vaccination rate of 95%, with only 93% of US kindergartners receiving two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine in the 2022-23 school year.
  • 12 states and Washington, D.C. had measles vaccination rates below 90% in the 2022-23 school year.
  • Measles cases worldwide increased 18% from 2021 to 2022, and measles deaths increased 43% worldwide during the same period.
  • Common symptoms of measles include a high fever, cough, conjunctivitis, runny nose, white spots in the mouth, and a rash.

Statistics:

  • 188 measles cases have been reported in the US so far this year (as of July 2024).
  • 93 people have been hospitalized due to measles complications.
  • 85% of people who contracted measles this year were either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status.
  • 60 cases were reported in the largest measles outbreak in 2024, which occurred in a migrant shelter in Chicago.
  • 93% of US kindergartners received two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine in the 2022-23 school year.
  • 12 states and Washington, D.C. had measles vaccination rates below 90% in the 2022-23 school year.
  • Measles cases worldwide increased 18% from 2021 to 2022.
  • Measles deaths worldwide increased 43% from 2021 to 2022.

Sources:

  • U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, health update, July 26, 2024
  • NBC News

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