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In Good Health: The 2024 American measles outbreak

In this photo illustration, vials of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine are displayed on a counter at a Walgreens Pharmacy in Mill Valley, California.
In this photo illustration, vials of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine are displayed on a counter at a Walgreens Pharmacy in Mill Valley, California.

As of Friday, the Centers for Disease Control have confirmed a total of 64 measles infections in the U.S. so far this year, detected across 17 different states.That number already exceeds the 58 measles cases reported last year.

And this rise in U.S. measles infections also coincides with a spike in cases worldwide, like in the United Kingdom.England has reported more than 700 cases of measles since October 2023.

We talk to Dr. Celine Gounder.She’san infectious disease specialist at the New York University School of Medicine and Bellevue Hospital Center.We also chat with Dr. Monica Gandhi.She’sthe associate division chief of the HIV, infectious diseases, and global medicine division at UCSF and San Francisco General Hospital.

What’s behind the latest surge in measles in the United States?

Copyright 2024 WAMU 88.5

Lauren Hamilton