We Haven't Seen a Measles Outbreak Like This in 25 Years

The US hasn't seen such a preponderance of measles in a quarter century, but thanks to a slew of new cases across the country, that 25-year-old benchmark has nearly been reached, and looks to soon be surpassed. Reuters reports that 940 confirmed measles cases have been recorded so far in 2019, which is the highest number since 1994, when a total of 958 was tallied for the year—and there's still seven months to go. The CDC says the outbreak has now reached 26 states. Although the measles virus was technically eliminated in the US as of 2000, outbreaks have been occurring due to people traveling abroad and bringing the disease back with them, combined with misinformation that has prompted some Americans to skip vaccinations. (A Scientology ship was said to have been quarantined for measles.)