The CDC, in a new report in AAP News, has issued a new measles case count for the United States.
We are now up to 174 cases for the year, from January 1 through July 1.
That is way above the recent record set in 2008 (140 cases), and makes it the most measles cases in the U.S. since 1996.
As has been reported all year, most cases were in unvaccinated children and adults who traveled to or from countries in Europe and Asia that are either having their own problems with measles outbreaks or still have endemic measles cases.
The news of the new measles record follows a CDC Health Advisory a few weeks ago that urged doctors to take steps to ensure that all patients are up to date on the MMR vaccine, including that before traveling abroad:
- Infants 6 through 11 months old should receive 1 dose of MMR vaccine
- Children 12 months of age or older should have documentation of 2 doses of MMR vaccine (separated by at least 28 days)
- Teenagers and adults without evidence of measles immunity should have documentation of 2 appropriately spaced doses of MMR vaccine
The CDC Health Advisory also reminded doctors to "consider measles as a diagnosis in anyone with a febrile rash illness lasting 3 days or more, a temperature of 101ºF (38.3ºC) or higher, and clinically compatible" measles symptoms.
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