Student Well-Being

Federal Officials Warn of Increase in Measles Cases

By Christina A. Samuels — May 13, 2008 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

More measles cases were reported between the first of this year and April 25 than in the same time period of any year since 2001, officials from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning.

In that time period, 64 cases of measles in nine states were reported to the Atlanta-based CDC, with 14 cases requiring patients to be hospitalized with complications. No deaths are linked to the recent outbreak, officials said.

The disease is extremely contagious, Dr. Anne Schuchat, the director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during the May 1 press conference. Measles is a respiratory disease spread by coughing and sneezing, but the virus can linger in the environment for several hours.

See Also

For more stories on this topic see Safety and Health.

“I think those are wake-up calls that this can be serious, and no one wants to see their child hospitalized,” Dr. Schuchat said.

Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, because immunizations were able to stop ongoing transmissions within the country.

Many people, however, travel to other countries and can then bring the disease back. Travelers to Europe may not take the same precautions as they would if they were visiting less-developed nations, the CDC officials said.

Of the 64 cases reported, 59 occurred among U.S. citizens; 54 of those involved importation of the disease from another country. Twenty of the cases were seen in children up to 15 months old, who were either too young or had not been vaccinated; 21 cases were in people 16 months to 19 years old who either claimed vaccination immunity or had missed opportunities to get the vaccine.

“We want to make sure that parents who are making decisions about immunizing their children are aware of the measles risk that’s ongoing around the country, and make sure that they have a chance to talk with their provider about opportunities for protection,” Dr. Schuchat said.

Related Tags:

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Student Well-Being Opinion School Sports Matter. How to Make Them Matter More
The skills we hope sports will teach are the very ones that help produce successful graduates and responsible citizens.
8 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Student Well-Being Death of Nonbinary Teen Nex Benedict After School Fight Is Ruled a Suicide, Medical Examiner Says
A summary autopsy report was released more than a month after the death of 16-year-old Nex Benedict.
2 min read
In this image provided by Malia Pila, Nex Benedict poses outside the family's home in Owasso, Okla., in December 2023. A recently released police search warrant reveals more details in the case of Nex Benedict, a nonbinary Oklahoma student who died a day after a high school bathroom fight that may have been prompted by bullying over gender identity.
In this image provided by Malia Pila, Nex Benedict poses outside the family's home in Owasso, Okla., in December 2023. A recently released police search warrant reveals more details in the case of Nex Benedict, a nonbinary Oklahoma student who died a day after a high school bathroom fight that may have been prompted by bullying over gender identity.
Sue Benedict via AP
Student Well-Being Opinion Talking About a Growth Mindset Isn’t Enough. Here’s What Makes a Difference for Students
Teachers can make structured changes that encourage students to challenge themselves.
Cameron Hecht
2 min read
Images shows a stylized artistic landscape with soothing colors.
Getty
Student Well-Being How Coaches Can Be a Source of Mental Health Support for Student-Athletes
Coaches interact with kids all the time and are well placed to support students' mental health—but they need more training.
5 min read
Blue concept image of coach and team discussing soccer tactics with ball in foreground.
Highwaystarz-Photography/iStock/Getty