Record number of measles cases. South Carolina infection center

Measles cases in the United States have reached their highest level in years. The surge in cases in South Carolina has become a symbol of a nationwide problem with declining population immunity.

According to the UPI news agency on Sunday, the number of infections in South Carolina has increased to 550. Another 500 people have been quarantined. The disease has been confirmed in at least ten states. The epidemic develops during the peak of the flu season. This increases pressure on the health care system.

In South Carolina itself, the outbreak is concentrated in Spartanburg County. The number of cases there has almost doubled in recent days.

– We currently have the largest measles outbreak in the US. The situation will get worse before it gets better,” said Dr. Helmut Albrecht of Prisma Health and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, quoted by NPR Public Radio.

Infections related to this outbreak have also been detected in North Carolina and Washington state.

Experts indicate that a key factor is the growing number of unvaccinated children. Measles is one of the most infectious diseases. One person can infect up to 18 other people on average. A vaccination level of at least 95% is needed for effective protection. Meanwhile, in Spartanburg County, the rate is around 90 percent. In some schools it even drops to 20%.

– We have lost the ability to contain the virus thanks to herd immunity – warned Dr. Albrecht, appealing for vaccinations.

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) shows that the problem is not limited to one region. JAMA is one of the most prestigious and most frequently cited medical journals in the world.

The percentage of non-medical exemptions from vaccinations is increasing, mostly from over 3,000. counties in the USA. They have a religious, ideological or personal background. This trend has clearly accelerated after the pandemic.

“It only takes a small group of under-vaccinated people to start and sustain an epidemic,” emphasizes Dr. Nathan Lo of Stanford University in an interview with NPR.

According to epidemiologists, similar outbreaks may occur in many parts of the country. In their opinion, the condition for stopping the virus is an increase in vaccination rates.

Andrzej Dobrowolski from New York (PAP)

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