A man walks past a sign advising about a measles outbreak in the Brooklyn borough of New York, April 25, 2019. VOA
Fighting anti-vaccine propaganda
The CDC, World Health Organization, and other experts are fighting propaganda from parents and anti-vaccine activists who refuse to inoculate their children, insisting the vaccine is dangerous.
"Again, I want to reassure parents that vaccines are safe, they do not cause autism. The greater danger is the disease that vaccination prevents," CDC Director Robert Redfield said. "Measles is preventable and the way to end this outbreak is to ensure that all children and adults who can get vaccinated do get vaccinated."
Before vaccine, 4 million cases
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Before 1963, when the measles vaccine was considered perfected, the CDC says as many as 4 million Americans got the disease every year and up to 500 victims died.
The measles virus is highly contagious and is spread primarily by coughing and sneezing.
Along with the refusal of some people to vaccinate their children, the CDC says the current nationwide outbreak is linked to travelers who are suspected of bringing back the virus from countries with their own large outbreaks, including Israel, the Philippines and Ukraine. (VOA)
