Measles Infection

Tests that look for multiple causes of rash in children may incorrectly identify a measles infection if a child has recently received an MMR vaccine, investigators reported in MMWR.

Measles cases rose globally by nearly 20% in 2022, and measles deaths increased by almost half, according to data published Thursday in MMWR by the CDC and WHO.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported that a person with an infectious case of measles visited Disneyland and a coffee shop last week, potentially exposing many others to the highly contagious virus.

The rate of vaccine exemptions rose slightly among children entering kindergarten in the 2018-2019 school year, with 2.5% having an exemption from at least one vaccine, according to new data published in MMWR. But researchers suggested an additional target to improve vaccine coverage rates in the United States: underimmunized children who begin school under grace periods or provisional enrollment.

Results of a nationally representative survey suggest that people who distrust government medical experts — like those from the CDC — and live farther from recent measles outbreaks have more negative attitudes toward measles vaccination than people with low trust in government experts who live close to outbreaks.

The 32nd Annual Infectious Diseases in Children Symposium will take place on Nov. 23 and 24 in New York City.