Measles resurgence: US cases top 2,000 as vaccine rates slip

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00:00We are ending the year with a public health milestone the U.S. has not seen in more than

00:07three decades, and it is not a good one. The number of measles cases nationwide has now

00:13passed 2,000. According to the CDC, that's the highest total since 1992. As of last week,

00:20more than 2,000 infections had been reported across nearly every state. Health officials say

00:26this is not being driven by travel alone. The vast majority of cases are domestic,

00:32and nearly all involve people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.

00:38About 1 in 10 patients has gone to the hospital, and more than half are children. The CDC also

00:43reports 50 separate outbreaks this year, more than triple what the country saw last year.

00:49Texas has been hit the hardest, with hundreds of cases tied to communities with low vaccination rates.

00:55South Carolina is also dealing with the growing outbreak, forcing hundreds of students into

01:00quarantine as schools try to contain the spread. Doctors point to a steady slide in routine childhood

01:06vaccinations. Nationwide MMR coverage among kindergartners is now below pre-pandemic levels,

01:13even though two doses of the vaccine are 97% effective at preventing measles. Public health

01:20experts warn the clock is ticking. If transmission continues into the new year,

01:25the U.S. could lose its measles elimination status, something it's held since 2000.