U.S. measles cases this year hit record numbers

(CDC)

There have already been more measles cases in the U.S. this year than there were in all of 2018, according to new CDC data. In 2018, there were 372 cases, but so far in 2019, 387 people have contracted the disease in 15 states, the second-highest total since endemic measles was eliminated in 2000. Most of the cases are in unvaccinated people, and the CDC says the six current outbreaks in the U.S. are tied to travelers who brought measles back from other countries that are also fighting the disease. Although the new data are preliminary, the ongoing outbreaks mean the numbers may rise.