Confirmed measles cases have swelled to 483 for the year with two new outbreaks, while flu activity decreased across the U.S. for the sixth straight week, according to latest reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
No new measles deaths were reported Friday, but the CDC confirmed eight more pediatric flu deaths for the week ending March 22. That brings the total to 159 in the 2024-’25 flu season.
New measles outbreaks in Kansas and Ohio join two in Texas and one in New Mexico. The CDC defines an outbreak as three or more related cases. The Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed 400 cases in the state. The New Mexico Department of Health reported 44 cases, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 23 provisional cases and the Ohio Department of Health reported 10 cases.
Measles cases also have been confirmed in Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont and Washington.
Unvaccinated patients or patients whose vaccination status is unknown account for 97% of the 483 confirmed measles cases in the U.S. this year. Seventy-five percent of those cases are patients ages 19 and under.
Patients younger than 19 also account for 58 of the 70 people hospitalized with measles. Twenty-five percent (40 of 157) of those under age 5 and 9% (18 of 204) of those ages 5-19 with measles have been hospitalized.
According to an October 2024 CDC report, measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination coverage among U.S. kindergartners dipped to 92.7% in the 2023-’24 school year; that figure was 95.2% in 2019-’20. Herd immunity is achieved when more than 95% of people in a community are vaccinated.
The CDC issued a Health Alert Network advisory earlier this month recommending that all clinicians ensure their patients have gotten the MMR vaccine. It is given in two doses, the first at 12-15 months of age and the second at 4-6 years of age. Two doses are 97% effective against measles.
The CDC also said vitamin A may be given to pediatric patients with measles as part of supportive management, which is consistent with AAP guidance. Children with severe measles should receive vitamin A under the supervision of a health care provider.
Vitamin A is not a substitute for vaccination, and overuse can be toxic.
Lara W. Johnson, M.D., FAAP, chief medical officer for Covenant Health-Lubbock Service Area in Texas, said Friday that some measles patients at her hospital appear to have taken large doses of vitamin A on their own.
“We have indeed seen patients with measles who have had elevated liver enzymes associated with having taken vitamin A prior to admission,” Dr. Johnson said. “Vitamin A is recommended to be given in severe measles cases with dosing under the direction of a physician.”
Two measles deaths have been confirmed this year. One unvaccinated pediatric patient in Texas with no underlying conditions died in February. The New Mexico Department of Health reported early this month that an unvaccinated state resident tested positive for measles after dying.
Influenza surveillance report
Seven pediatric flu deaths associated with influenza A and one with influenza B were reported Friday by the CDC, with one occurring in late December 2024 and the others in February and March.
Flu activity has been declining for over a month, but outpatient respiratory illness remains above baseline for the 17th straight week, according to the CDC. The “high severity” 2024-’25 flu season is expected to continue for several more weeks.
The CDC recommends that everyone ages 6 months and older get a flu vaccine as long as flu activity continues. Flu shots typically begin to protect against infection two weeks after administration.
At least 44 million illnesses, 580,000 hospitalizations and 25,000 deaths related to the flu have been confirmed this season by the CDC.
No new human cases of bird flu were reported this week by the CDC.
