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Nation Wide Measles Outbreak Update - Can be Fatal and lead to Brain Damage #news #2025
As of the 2023–2024 school year, approximately 7% of U.S. kindergartners were not fully vaccinated against measles. Given that there were about 4.0 million kindergarten students enrolled in public schools in 2021 , this means roughly 280,000 children were unvaccinated. National Center for Education Statistics This figure is concerning because measles is highly contagious, and the 95% vaccination rate needed for herd immunity is below the current coverage. Lower vaccination rates can increase the risk of outbreaks, especially in communities with lower immunization levels. Health officials in Louisiana, Missouri and Virginia confirmed their first measles cases of the year Friday and Saturday, with all three of the respective cases being linked to international travel. The Louisiana resident is an unvaccinated adult, while the Missouri and Virginia residents are both children with unverified vaccination statuses. Excluding the cases from the three states, there have been 800 confirmed cases of measles across 25 states so far this year, according to the latest update from the CDC on Friday, far surpassing the 285 measles cases reported in the entirety of 2024 (the CDC does not provide data on how many cases are actively infectious). The Texas Department of State Health Services reported its measles outbreak had grown to 597 cases as of Friday, with 62 of the patients having been hospitalized and two school-aged children confirmed dead from the illness. Less than 30 of the confirmed cases are estimated to be actively infectious, according to Texas health officials. The Texas health department said 22 of the cases were in vaccinated people, with the remainder of the 575 sick patients being unvaccinated or having an unknown vaccination status. Measles can have serious brain health complications, including encephalitis (brain swelling) and, in rare cases, subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), a progressive dementia. Encephalitis can cause permanent brain damage, and SSPE is almost always fatal. Additionally, measles can lead to cognitive decline and personality changes. Vaccination with the MMR vaccine is the most effective way to prevent these serious brain complications. Nation Wide Measles Outbreak Update - Can be Fatal and lead to Brain Damage #news #2025