NEW YORK -- U.S. measles cases in 2019 have climbed to their highest level in 25 years in a resurgence largely attributed to misinformation that is turning parents against vaccines.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updates its national measles count on Mondays. CDC officials said they are reviewing the latest reports. The number of cases is likely to rise. Measles is highly contagious and can spread through the air when someone coughs or sneezes. And in recent days, Jewish families have been gathering for Passover meals. It can take 10 to 12 days for symptoms to develop.The measles vaccine, which first became available in the 1960s, is considered safe and highly effective, and because of it, measles was all but declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000. But it has made comebacks since then.