What should our community do to address the rise in measles cases and protect public health?
Data: CDC; Chart: Axios Visuals This chart shows what it looks like to hit a 30-year high in measles cases — and why the U.S. is on track to lose its measles "elimination status." Why it matters: We've all heard that cases are on the rise, but the reality is that they're skyrocketing. It started with an outbreak in West Texas, and now infections are reported in nine states and hundreds are in quarantine due to a major surge in South Carolina.More than out of 10 cases were among unvaccinated people or those with unknown vaccination status, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What they're saying: On Tuesday, Ralph Abraham, a top CDC official, told reporters that the end of the measles elimination status in the U.S. would be "just the cost of doing business, with our borders being somewhat porous [and] global and international travel," Stat reported. Driving the news: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other Trump administration officials have downplayed the health risks of the virus, and at times they've spread misleading claims about the MMR vaccine. They only said later that the MMR vaccine was the "most effective way" to prevent the transmission of the virus.South Carolina is one of two major outbreaks in the U.S., along with a region on the Utah-Arizona border. Both are outlying areas where vaccination rates were below the 95% threshold public health authorities say is necessary to contain the virus' spread. What we're watching: The risk of spillover increased with holiday travel. North Carolina and Ohio reported infected individuals who traveled to the outbreak epicenter. The Texas outbreak, which was declared over in August, involved at least 762 cases, mostly in children. There were two deaths, marking the first measles fatalities in a decade