Additional Coverage:
- New Jersey, Kentucky report more measles cases amid spread in US (abcnews.go.com)
Measles Cases Confirmed in Multiple States, Including First Case in Kentucky in Two Years
Health officials are working to contain measles outbreaks across the United States, with new cases confirmed in several states. Kentucky reported its first case in two years, involving an adult resident who recently traveled internationally. The individual visited a Planet Fitness in Frankfort on February 17 while contagious, prompting health officials to initiate contact tracing.
Two new cases, linked to an earlier confirmed case involving international travel, were also reported in Bergen County, New Jersey. These cases involve unvaccinated members of the same family, lessening concerns about widespread community transmission. Potential exposure locations in New Jersey include the Englewood Hospital Emergency Department on February 5.
Additionally, an infant in King County, Washington, the first case in the Seattle area this year, has been diagnosed with measles, possibly linked to recent international travel.
These cases appear unrelated to the ongoing outbreak in Texas, which has tragically claimed one life and infected 124 others.
Measles is highly contagious, with the potential to infect up to 90% of unvaccinated individuals exposed to the virus. The CDC recommends two doses of the MMR vaccine for optimal protection, with the first dose administered between 12 and 15 months of age, and the second between 4 and 6 years old.
While measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, recent declines in vaccination rates underscore the continued importance of vaccination for individual and public health. Health officials strongly encourage vaccination for anyone not already immunized against measles.
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- New Jersey, Kentucky report more measles cases amid spread in US (abcnews.go.com)