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On Friday, April 12, the CDC announced that the total number of measles cases in the US in 2024 has reached 121 — far surpassing last year’s number of 58 — with cases being reported in 18 states and jurisdictions, including New York State.
The update comes after a Nassau County child under the age of 5 was announced as the state’s first measles case to be reported outside of New York City in March 2024.
Since then, cases of the highly contagious respiratory disease have been reported not only on Long Island, in New Jersey, and in New York City, but across the country, though ABC4 New York said the exact number of cases is still being investigated.
In 2023, only 11 cases were reported in the first four months of the year; so far, in 2024, there are 11 times more cases.
The single best way to avoid measles is to be vaccinated. To be fully protected, this means receiving two doses of the MMR vaccine, which New York State requires for all students enrolled in grades pre-K through high school.
Officials from the Nassau County Department of Health confirmed that the child who came down with measles in March was not vaccinated; in the newest CDC report, the organization said that 82 percent of all cases were in children who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was not known.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases, with one sick person infecting up to 90 percent of unvaccinated people close to them.
It is spread through coughing and sneezing as well as touching infected surfaces.
Symptoms of measles (which appear one to two weeks after a child is infected) start with a cough, high fever, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. Within a few days, infected people will also develop a rash.
The disease can be very dangerous to young children and babies. Health officials recommend parents call their healthcare provider immediately if they think their child was exposed.
For more information about measles cases and outbreaks, click here.
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