Measles was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000 thanks to high vaccination rates. But amid misinformation from anti-vaccine activists — including current U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — vaccination rates have steadily declined in recent years, vaccination exemptions have reached an all-time high and the highly contagious virus has returned with a vengeance.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded at least 3,659 cases this year, higher than last year and the highest on record since 1991. Yet under Kennedy’s influence, the CDC has resisted reporting deaths in Pennsylvania, instead changing the criteria for what it considers a measles death. Currently, the CDC is only reporting two deaths. It is not clear which ones were counted.
Meanwhile, Pennsylvania health officials are racing to vaccinate residents amid the deadly outbreak. The Department of Health reports that state nurses have administered more than 8,500 doses of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine this year, including more than 5,500 doses administered at pop-up clinics in outbreak areas.
“The best protection against measles remains being fully vaccinated,” the Ministry of Health reiterated on Wednesday. “The MMR vaccine, given in two doses, strengthens a person’s immune system and provides 97 percent lifetime protection.”
Gn Health
