The United States recorded 41 new measles cases last week, bringing the year's total number of cases to 981 in the worst outbreak of the disease since 1992, federal health officials said on Monday.
Federal health officials attribute this year's outbreak to US parents who refuse to vaccinate their children. These parents believe, contrary to scientific evidence, that ingredients in the vaccine can cause autism. On Thursday, CDC officials said the outbreak had surpassed the total number of cases per year for the past 25 years, topping the 963 cases that were confirmed in 1994.
CDC officials have warned that the country risks losing its measles elimination status if the ongoing outbreak, which began in October 2018 in New York, continues until October 2019.