Pennsylvania Reports 943 Measles Cases, 5 Deaths as Outbreak Spreads
[HARRISBURG] Pennsylvania health officials reported October 1 that confirmed measles cases statewide have reached 943, with 5 deaths — one of the worst state-level measles outbreaks in the U.S. in recent years, Reuters reported, with case counts still rising.
Health officials said most cases are concentrated in communities with low vaccination rates, mainly among unvaccinated children and teenagers. The state health department has dispatched mobile vaccination teams to affected communities and tightened school immunization-record checks for the new school year.
Experts note measles is highly contagious, with herd immunity requiring about 95% vaccination coverage. In some Pennsylvania counties, school-age measles vaccination rates have fallen below that threshold.
The health department urged parents to get children vaccinated promptly and advised anyone with fever and rash symptoms to seek care and avoid public places.
(Source: Reuters)
Source: Reuters
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：哈里斯堡的宾夕法尼亚州议会大厦（资料图）。摄影：w_lemay，CC BY-SA 2.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
