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Measles Cases Surge as States Consider Laws to Curb Outbreak

HeadlineApr 02, 2019

In public health news, the ongoing outbreak of measles across the U.S. has reached the second highest level since 2000—the year health officials declared the disease eliminated. Three hundred eight-seven confirmed cases have been reported across 15 states in the first three months of the year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—that’s more than the total number of cases reported in all of 2018. Health experts say the contagious illness is spreading in other parts of the world, as well, including Europe and Asia.

Rockland County in New York, which has seen an outbreak, primarily among the Orthodox Jewish community, recently banned unvaccinated children from all public spaces. Some states are considering measures to increase vaccination requirements, including barring “belief-based” or other nonmedical exemptions that allow parents to opt out of inoculating their children.

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