Measles Outbreak Rises to 64 Cases, Most Since 2001

There have been 15 reported measles cases in Arizona, 12 in California, three in Hawaii, one in Illinois, four in Michigan, 22 in New York City and one in New York state. There's also been one case in Pennsylvania, one in Virginia and four in Wisconsin, Schuchat said.

She noted that even states not on this list should be alert to the possibility of measles cases.

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The best protection against measles is vaccination, which is 99 percent effective, Schuchat said. "In the United States, about 97 percent of kindergartners have gotten their measles immunization," she said.

That doesn't mean there aren't pockets of unimmunized children and adults around the country, Schuchat said.

The 64 people with measles ranged in age from five months to 71 years. Fifty-nine were U.S. residents and 54 cases were linked to measles brought from other countries. Sixty-three of the patients were not vaccinated or their vaccination status was not known. One patient had had two doses of the vaccine, the CDC reports.

Schuchat noted that the 64 cases are only those that have been confirmed. She believes that there may be many more cases that have not been reported and more cases yet to come.

The 64 cases reported from January to April 25 of this year compare with 55 cases reported in all of 2006 and 66 cases reported in all of 2005, Schuchat said. "This year does appear to have more simultaneous ongoing outbreaks from different places among children who have not been immunized," she said. "I am really concerned that we have not seen the end of this."

Among the unvaccinated patients, 13 were under one year of age and thus too young to be vaccinated. "At least one of these children acquired the disease in a doctor's waiting room," Schuchat said. "Other cases have been acquired in hospital emergency rooms from health-care workers."