Tracking measles outbreaks and cases in the US

AND TODAY MARKS ONE YEAR SINCE THE LARGEST MEASLES OUTBREAK IN THE US IN DECADES. IT STARTED NOT HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS, BUT IN WEST TEXAS OVER THE LAST 365 DAYS, MORE THAN 2200 MEASLES CASES WERE CONFIRMED IN ALL PLACES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, PUTTING THE UNITED STATES AT RISK OF LOSING ITS MEASLES ELIMINATION STATUS. SO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS AND TALK ABOUT IT IS A FAMILIAR FACE. DOCTOR TODD ELLEN FROM SOUTH SHORE HEALTH. SO GREAT TO SEE YOU, DOCTOR. SO AS YOU KNOW, THE US TYPICALLY SEES WHAT A FEW DOZEN CASES OF MEASLES IN A YEAR. BUT BY COMPARISON, LAST YEAR’S NUMBER WAS OFF THE CHARTS. SO DO YOU THINK WE’RE FINALLY PAST PEAK? HERE WE ARE. WHAT? LATE JANUARY? LISTEN AGAIN. LAST YEAR, MORE CASES THAN WE’VE SEEN IN 35 YEARS. AND THIS YEAR IN JANUARY, THERE’S BEEN CLOSE TO 170 CASES. WE ARE NOT STARTING OFF WELL, NOT STARTING OFF WELL. SO SO I WANT TO PUT A MAP ON THE SCREEN AND I WANT YOU TO DISSECT IT FOR ME. WE’LL WALK THROUGH IT. LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THIS MAP OF THE UNITED STATES. AND YOU SEE SHADES OF BLUE RIGHT. AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE STATES, 45 IN TOTAL, HAD AT LEAST ONE MEASLES CASE LAST YEAR. BUT NOT IF YOU NOTICE, NOT MASSACHUSETTS, NOT MAINE, NOT NEW HAMPSHIRE. IS THAT LUCK? OR ARE WE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT? IT’S ABSOLUTELY NOT LUCK. LOOK, WHAT IT IS. IS VIRUS VERSUS VACCINE. WHAT DO I MEAN? WE’RE DEALING WITH THE MEASLES IS THE MOST CONTAGIOUS VIRUS IN A SUSCEPTIBLE POPULATION. AND THE MEASLES VACCINE IS ONE OF OUR BEST VACCINES. SO WHAT HAPPENS IS, IF YOU’RE VACCINATED, GENERALLY SPEAKING, MEASLES VERSUS VACCINE, VACCINE WINS. BUT IF YOU’RE UNVACCINATED, MEASLES CAN SPREAD. IF I HAVE MEASLES, I COULD LITERALLY SPREAD IT TO 12 TO 18 PEOPLE. SO THAT’S IT’S THE PERFECT LITMUS TEST TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE’RE DOING WITH OUR VACCINATION. SO SO IF THE US DOES LOSE THAT ELIMINATION STATUS FOR MEASLES, HOW HARD IS IT TO GET IT BACK? WELL, IT’S GOING TO BE DIFFICULT. AND ONE OF THE REASONS IS, IS BECAUSE OVERALL, OUR VACCINATION RATE IN THE US IS DECLINING. AND WHAT AM I SAYING WHEN YOU LOOK AT KINDERGARTNERS THAT ARE BEING VACCINATED, MORE AND MORE PARENTS ARE CHOOSING NOT TO VACCINATE THEIR KIDS FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER. SOMETIMES IT’S MEDICAL, BUT OFTEN IT’S RELIGIOUS OR NONMEDICAL. WE’RE SEEING THAT GO UP. SO WE ARE HAVING WE’RE IT’S REALLY WE’RE SEEING A MORE SUSCEPTIBLE POPULATION. AND THERE ARE POCKETS EVEN IN MASSACHUSETTS WHERE AND WE’RE DOING BETTER THAN MOST STATES, BUT THERE’S STILL POCKETS IN MASSACHUSETTS WHERE WE’RE SEEING SIGNIFICANT DECREASES. SO SO IT’S A REAL PROBLEM. THE OTHER THING IS WE’RE REALLY A VICTIM OF OUR SUCCESS BECAUSE MANY OF US HAVE NOT EVER SEEN MEASLES. SO IF YOU’RE A PARENT, YOU COULD BE LIKE WHAT? MEASLES? IT’S SOMETHING OF THE PAST. I DON’T HAVE TO WORRY. I DON’T HAVE TO VACCINATE YOU. YOU KNOW, IT KIND OF MAKES SENSE, BUT IT’S REALLY GOING TO BRING US BACKWARDS AS PART OF THE OF THE CONVERSATION. WHEN I WAS A YOUNG BOY. AND YOU WOULDN’T I WOULDN’T THINK THESE YEARS LATER IT WOULD STILL BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION. AND IT’S TRUE. NOW, REMEMBER SOMETHING WE IN THE US, WE’RE DOING BETTER THAN OUR NEIGHBORS CANADA, MEXICO, EUROPE. BUT REMEMBER, THIS VIRUS DOES NOT RESPECT OR RECOGNIZE INTERNATIONAL BORDERS. IT’S A PROBLEM