BUFFALO, N.Y. — Nearly 230 cases of measles have been confirmed in 12 states across the country since the beginning of the year.
The states that have reported cases to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Washington.
The CDC says the rise in the number of cases of measles are primarily based on the following reasons:
- people traveling abroad who bring the disease back to the United States
- further spread among communities of unvaccinated people.
Last month, officials says two passengers on an international flight to San Francisco contracted measles from traveler who picked up the disease in another country.
To protect against the disease, the CDC recommends the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine.