What to know about the recent measles outbreak as CDC warns of rising cases

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Updated March 19, 2024 at 8:21 a.m. EDT|Published February 29, 2024 at 10:13 a.m. EST
A child with red rash spots from the measles. (Bilanol/Getty Images)
7 min

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning health professionals about an increase in measles infections in the United States, urging them to ensure children are current on their vaccinations.

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There were 58 cases reported in 16 states so far this year, the CDC said Monday — as many cases in about two and a half months as there were for the whole of 2023. Almost all of the cases have involved international travel, and most were among children aged 1 or older who did not get the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, or MMR.

“Given currently high population immunity against measles in most U.S. communities, the risk of widescale spread is low,” the CDC said Monday. “However, pockets of low coverage leave some communities at higher risk for outbreaks.”

Here’s what to know.