US No Longer Measles Free As Cases Hit 35-Year High

The ruling came from the Pan American Health Organization.

An international health body has ruled that the United States no longer holds its measles elimination status. The decision comes after a string of outbreaks that began early last year and has pushed case numbers to a level not seen in decades.

The ruling came from the Pan American Health Organization. An expert panel it convened reached the conclusion after a three-day meeting in Washington, D.C. The outcome had been widely expected.

The panel found that the measles virus has been spreading continuously in the country for longer than 12 months. That matters because elimination status depends on one thing. If the same strain stays in circulation for a year or more without a break, the country can no longer be considered free of the disease.

Pennsylvania is currently dealing with a large outbreak. It has produced more than 1,500 cases and six deaths linked to measles. Those figures are widely seen as an undercount, because testing is not widespread and mild cases often go unreported.

Most of the people who get sick are unvaccinated. According to a report from Axios, overall vaccination rates are still fairly high, but officials say…

Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/latest-news