Measles Cases On The Rise In US Children
August 22nd, 2008 | by admin |
Washington - Officials with the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention are stating that the number of measles cases in US children is as high as it was back in 1996.
They say that in the majority of these measles cases, the parents of the effected children chose not to have their children vaccinated against the virus.
Their findings come as a result of a government funded study which is published in today’s August 22 issue of Morbidity.
So far this year, there has been 131 reported measles cases, with about half of them reported in children not given the vaccine to protect them from it.
Many question the effectiveness of the vaccine, due to the fact that children who are vaccinated, are still being diagnosed with measles.
“We’re seeing a lot more spread. That is concerning to us,” Dr. Jane Seward of the CDC said.
“We are concerned…about the population of people who are choosing not to be vaccinated, and whether we may be on the verge of facing larger-scale outbreak in the United States,” said Jane Seward of the CDC’s division of viral diseases.
Measles is very contagious, and presents with symptoms including a rash, fever, cough, runny nose and red watery eyes.
