US measles cases at highest level in six years, CDC says

(Reuters): Confirmed measles cases in the U.S. reached a total of 1,288, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday, rising above 2019 levels as the country battles one of its worst outbreaks of the childhood disease.

The U.S. saw a total of 1,274 measles cases in 2019.

This year’s surge has primarily been driven by a drop in vaccination rates, particularly among children in states such as Texas and New Mexico, where coverage has fallen well below the 95% threshold required for herd immunity.

The country surpassed 1,000 measles cases in May.

Parallel data from Johns Hopkins University’s outbreak response center, published on Friday, had also showed that measles cases in the U.S. is at a six-year high.

The first vaccine to prevent infections was introduced in 1963 and the disease was declared eliminated from the country in 2000, according to CDC data.

Cases had also surged to 2,126 in the U.S. in 1992.