The number of confirmed measles cases has risen to 981, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Monday, a new high since last week’s 971 confirmed cases.
The number of cases, based on data from 26 states through May 31, is the most since the 2,200 in 1992. The virus was declared eliminated in 2000.
Florida, Arizona, Tennessee, and Maryland have suffered outbreaks, among other states.
Rockland County in New York and New York City have been hit hardest, reporting more than 800 cases since October. As of May 29, the outbreak has spread from Rockland County and Brooklyn to Manhattan and Staten Island.
The Department of Health and Human Services has attributed the outbreak partially to parents skeptical of vaccines taking advantage of exemptions from vaccine mandates. Many parents across the country, especially in Oregon, Washington, and New York, have declined vaccinations for their children on religious or philosophical grounds.
New York, Connecticut, and Maine are among the states working to roll back such exemptions. Both HHS and the CDC have said that vaccines are safe and that measles is a preventable disease.
