Prior to the U.S. measles vaccination program that started in 1963, between 3 million and 4 million people were infected with measles annually. Around 400 to 500 of those people died, 48,000 were hospitalized and 1,000 developed encephalitis (swelling of the brain), according to the CDC.
The widespread use of the MMR vaccine in the United States resulted to a 99 percent reduction in measles cases compared before 1963.
The CDC noted the measles outbreak linked to travelers who brought the disease back to the U.S. from countries such as Israel, Ukraine and the Philippines. Currently, large measles outbreaks are happening in these countries.
New York City ordered mandatory MMR vaccination to stop measles outbreak
Last month, the New York City Health Department ordered a mandatory MMR vaccination for unvaccinated individuals living in select areas in Williamsburg. The city’s health officials issued the order to prevent the measles outbreak, which infected hundreds of residents in Brooklyn and Queens. Most of the cases involved members of the Orthodox Jewish community.
