U.S. health officials say more than 800 cases of measles have been reported this year, a growing tally that is already the nation’s highest in 25 years
A total of 839 cases were reported as of last week– none are in South Dakota. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that’s the most since 1994, when 963 were reported for the entire year.
In all, 23 states have reported cases this year. The vast majority of illnesses have been in New York– most of them among unvaccinated people in Orthodox Jewish communities. That pattern continued last week, with most of the 75 new cases coming from New York.
Measles was once common in the U.S. but gradually became rare after vaccination campaigns that started in the 1960s.
