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Health officials said there had been 971 cases of measles in the United States since the beginning of the year, the highest number of cases since 1994, when 963 cases were reported. .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday that if current outbreaks in New York and surrounding areas continue this fall, the United States could lose its status as a country that has eliminated measles.
"This loss would be a blow to the country and erase the hard work of all levels of public health," said a statement from the CDC.
Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, and the CDC states that one of the main reasons is the availability and widespread use of a safe and effective vaccine.
Fight anti-vaccine propaganda
The CDC, the World Health Organization and other experts are fighting the propaganda of parents and anti-vaccine activists who refuse to inoculate their children, insisting that the vaccine is dangerous.
"Again, I want to rebadure parents that vaccines are safe, they do not cause autism. The greatest danger is the disease that vaccination prevents, "said Robert Redfield, director of the CDC. "Measles is preventable and the way to end this epidemic is to ensure that all children and adults who can be vaccinated are vaccinated."
Before vaccine, 4 million cases
Prior to 1963, when the measles vaccine was considered perfected, the CDC states that as many as 4 million Americans are afflicted with the disease each year and that 500 victims have died.
The measles virus is highly contagious and is transmitted mainly by coughing and sneezing.
In addition to refusing some people to vaccinate their children, the CDC says the current national epidemic is linked to travelers suspected of bringing the virus back to heavily-affected countries, including Israel, the Philippines, and Ukraine.
Credit: Voice of America (VOA)
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