This statistic shows the number of infected persons with measles during the U.S. multi-state outbreak in 2014-2015. The outbreak was linked to a Californian amusement park. In the period between December 28, 2014, and April 10, 2015, 147 persons who became infected with measles were linked to this multi-state outbreak.
Multi-state measles outbreak in 2014-2015
In the United States there are currently 140 people affected by the recent measles outbreak, with the majority of cases in California. Between December 2014 and February 2015, there were also 7 cases in Arizona and 3 in Utah.
Cases of measles in the United States are not unheard of, there were 116 cases in 2001 and up to 27,786 cases in 1990. Measles is a highly contagious infection which is characterized by fever, cough, and a red rash that spreads across the body within days of the initial symptoms. In extreme cases, measles can be fatal. The recent outbreak has been associated with a movement among some parents that are refusing to vaccinate their children. This movement prevents the achievement of herd immunity. Many of the people who have contracted the disease were unvaccinated. In a
2011 survey, 67 percent of individuals stated that parents who chose not to vaccinate their children were naïve.
The vaccination can prevent the disease and has decreased global mortality from the measles virus. Worldwide, about 94 percent of 1 year olds in the Americas are vaccinated against measles, compared to 78 percent in Southeast Asia. About 91.9 percent of children between the ages of 19 and 35 months have received the
measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination in the United States in 2013, up from a low of 86 percent in 1998.