A measles outbreak that began in south-central Pennsylvania in late April has grown to more than 70 confirmed cases, with state health officials urging unvaccinated residents to get immunized and pledging an aggressive response to contain the disease’s spread.
Of the 84 total measles cases Pennsylvania has confirmed so far this year, 72 are linked to the current outbreak, which originated in the Lebanon and Lancaster county area and has since expanded to six counties. State Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen traveled to Lancaster on Friday to address the situation, telling reporters that epidemiologists, community health nurses, and local partners are working urgently to bring measles under control, and that the state’s contact tracing system remains fully operational.
More than 60 of those cases are concentrated in Lancaster and Lebanon counties alone, making those two counties the focal point of state response efforts…