SAN DIEGO — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory for Americans traveling internationally for spring break.
The advisory was issued after 58 cases of measles have been reported in the U.S. including one in San Diego County and the number is growing around the world.
The CDC says almost all of the cases were connected to travel outside of the U.S. and has updated its travel guidelines, now recommending Americans check in with their doctors six weeks before international travel to confirm that they are up-to-date on their measles vaccines.
The number of measles cases in the U.S. already in 2024 is the same as reported in all of 2023.
“The main thing with measles is that’s really contagious. So, if somebody goes into a room with 100 people and they’re not immune to measles, 90 of those people will get measles,” said Edmund Milder, M.D. Infectious Disease, Rady Children’s Hospital.
In February, San Diego County reported its first measles case of this year. It involved a one-year-old girl who traveled internationally and brought the airborne virus back to the U.S.
“Anywhere you gather and have a lot of people you’re just going to increase your risk, especially with measles where you don’t have to be, within that three to six feet to get exposed because it can travel through the air,” said Milder.
The CDC reports that the 58 measles cases are across 17 states: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York City, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington. The CDC says 93 percent of the cases are linked to international travel and most are children one year and older who are not vaccinated.
They encourage children six months and older to be current on their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations.
“People get a cough, congestion, red eyes, conjunctivitis, and then fever. And eventually, they’ll get a rash that usually starts on the face behind the ears and then spreads down the rest of the body. And people are pretty miserable,” said Milder.
Measles was eliminated in the U.S. in 2000. Then in 2014, there was an outbreak at Disneyland. And five years later, there were 207,000 deaths worldwide, which was the worst outbreak since 1992.
"Most kids will then be able to fight it off and make a recovery. But the risk is that some kids could have an inflammation of their brain and some kids can die from the infection," said Milder.
California has strict vaccine exemption laws and the MMR vaccine is required for students to attend public schools. Still, nationwide vaccine rates have dropped since COVID-19.
Before you take off by air or car for spring break, Dr. Milder says make sure you are updated on your vaccines to protect those who can’t get vaccinated which are babies younger than 6 months and immunocompromised.
“We can protect them by all the rest of us staying immune and not allowing the virus to spread,” said Milder.
To learn more about measles signs, symptoms and prevention click here.
WATCH: First San Diego County measles case since 2019 found in one-year-old