Measles Reported In NY, 16 Other States In Global Uptick: CDC Advisory

Update: New York reported a third case, in Nassau County, on March 23. The child was not immunized, health officials said. SEE: 1st LI Measles Patient Admitted To Cohen's Children Hospital

Check back with Patch for ongoing reporting on the 2024 measles outbreak.

NEW YORK —Federal health officials warned this week that measles cases are on the rise both domestically and globally, with 58 confirmed cases in 17 states, including New York, in the first three months of the year.

The 58 cases reported as of March 14, are equal to all cases reported in 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday in an advisory to health care providers. The agency said 93 percent of the measles cases were linked to international travel, and that destinations such as Austria, the Philippines, Romania and the United Kingdom are all experiencing measles outbreaks.

Other states reporting cases were Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington.

"The New York State Department of Health is monitoring the situation very carefully. We have local health departments in each county that are prepared to investigate cases and distribute vaccines or other protective measures as needed. If there is a person with measles, we will quickly try to stop it from spreading," officials said in an online message to residents.

The two New York cases have been in NYC, the CDC said.

A person infected with the highly contagious viral disease can spread it to 9 out of 10 unvaccinated people they come in contact with, the CDC said.

Vaccinations have reduced the risk of measles in most U.S. communities, but pockets of the country continue to have low vaccine coverage, leaving some areas at higher risk for outbreaks.

Most U.S. measles cases so far this year are among children around 1 year of age who have not yet had measles-mumps-rubella, or MMR, vaccinations, the CDC said.

The CDC typically recommends two doses of MMR vaccine, the first at age 12 to 15 months and the second at 4 to 6 years, or before starting school for the first time.

In its advisory, the agency recommended vaccinations for children 6 months and older who will travel internationally and for all children who are 12 months old, regardless of travel plans.

As of the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, 93.1 percent of incoming kindergarten students had received the necessary doses of MMR vaccine, according to CDC data.

In New York, 97.9 percent of kindergarteners received their MMR shots; however, vaccination rates vary widely from county to county.

Orange and Rockland have vaccination rates far lower than the rest of the state outside of New York City, according to the NY Department of Health.

In fact, the longest-running measles outbreak since the disease was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000 was based but not limited to Rockland County and New York City. Most cases were among people who were not vaccinated against measles. Measles is more likely to spread and cause outbreaks in U.S. communities where groups of people are unvaccinated, CDC officials said.

Vaccination requirements for school entry differ depending on the state. However, all states except Wyoming require two doses of measles vaccine.

Every child in day care, Head Start, nursery school or prekindergarten in New York State must be immune, with some medical exemptions to immunization.

The early symptoms of measles include a high fever, cough, runny nose, and pink eye, which can last for about two to four days before a rash appears. The incubation period for measles, from initial exposure to fever, is usually around 10 days. The rash typically starts about 14 days after the initial exposure.

The virus responsible for measles is transmitted through direct contact with infectious droplets or by airborne spread when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. It can remain infectious in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours after an infected person has left. Infected people are contagious four days before the rash starts through four days after.

The CDC reported that from the 2019–20 to the 2021–22 school year, national coverage with state-required vaccines among kindergartners declined from 95 percent to approximately 93 percent.

In recent years, some people have become concerned that vaccines are more dangerous than the diseases they prevent, New York State health officials said on the department's website. "An aggressive anti-vaccine movement is fueling their fears. Unfortunately, this has led some to delay or avoid vaccination. It’s also one reason we are seeing the return of so many preventable diseases – like measles, mumps and whooping cough."

They suggest:

• Talk to your health care provider about your concerns. Ask if they vaccinate their own children.
• Make sure the research you rely on is credible (peer-reviewed) and published by respected sources.
• Know your sources. Trustworthy sources do not hide their identity. They do not threaten or attack people who don't share their views.