Panic as world's most contagious disease strikes favorite US travel spot
A popular US summer spot is on red alert after two travelers were diagnosed with measles while passing through the state, potentially infecting others.
A child passenger under five traveled with family to Ontario, Canada, where a measles outbreak is ongoing, and returned home to El Paso County in Colorado Springs with the extremely contagious virus.
The child was vaccinated with one dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine but did not have full immunity.
Meanwhile, an unvaccinated adult traveler was also hit by the rash illness after being exposed to it while traveling through Denver International Airport on May 13.
It is believed the individual, from Arapahoe County, came into contact with an out-of-state traveler who flew while infectious.
Some of the spots the infected persons passed through in Colorado Springs include a Maverick Gas Station on Airport Rd, the Single Barrel Bar And Grill, and the King Soopers grocery store.
They also visited two medical centers, with these being Powers Pointe Urgent Care and St. Francis Medical Center Emergency Department.
Colorado Springs, which is a popular destination for its stunning mountain views and access to various outdoor activities, now has two confirmed cases of measles as the potentially deadly infection rips its way across the US.
The two fresh Colorado Springs measles cases come amid multiple confirmed cases across Colorado, including in Aurora and Denver – many of which were linked to a Turkish Airlines flight that landed into DIA in mid-May.
Colorado officials are warning anyone who fears they may have been exposed to contact their health provider and monitor for symptoms in what is the latest in a string of measles scares to rock America's major airports and surrounding neighborhoods.
Currently there have been 1,168 confirmed measles cases in the US and at least three deaths reported by 34 states.
Measles is the world's most contagious disease but those who are fully vaccinated are protected in 97 percent of cases.
The current jurisdictions impacted are Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.
Of these cases, three-quarters are in children under the age of 19.
In an updated advisory, the CDC is warning that people can get infected with measles during travel or at crowded events, unless they are fully vaccinated or have had the disease.
The notice reads: 'Travelers can catch measles in many travel settings, including travel hubs like airports and train stations, on public transportation like airplanes and trains, at tourist attractions, and at large, crowded events.
'Infected travelers can bring the disease back to their home communities where it can spread rapidly among people who are not immune.'
The government agency recommends that all travelers be fully vaccinated against measles before traveling to an international destination.
The last time measles was this rife in the US was in 2019, when there were 1,274 cases reported for the entire year.
Prior to that, the biggest outbreak was in 1990, with numbers spiking to more than 27,000.
Measles was officially eradicated in the US in 2000 amid a successful vaccination campaign.
At the time, the CDC described achieving measles elimination status in the US as a 'historic public health achievement'.
However, a recent study found uptake of the vaccine among children declined in eight in 10 US counties last year, which is being signaled as the cause of the measles resurgence.
Overall, vaccine rates fell three percent across the country.
It means that merely 91 percent of children are vaccinated against measles, which is well below the 95 percent need to prevent the disease from spreading and causing deaths.
The Johns Hopkins University researchers warned that if vaccination rates continue to fall, measles is likely to completely return and become a common infection among Americans.
A majority of those infected as well as the all of the deceased had not received their MMR vaccine - primarily due to vaccine hesitancy and misinformation, experts say.
Measles causes tiny white spots inside the mouth, flat red spots on the neck, torso, arms, legs, and feet, ear infections and an intense fever.
In terms of when to get vaccinated, experts say children need two doses of MMR vaccine: the first dose at age 12-15 months, and the second dose at age 4-6 years.
Babies ages 6-11 months should get an early dose if traveling internationally. Adults should also check to see if they are immune to measles.
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