Washington health leaders are warning parents of a rapidly increasing measles outbreak.
Almost 1,000 cases have been confirmed across the United States this year.
Dr. Beth Ebel with the UW Pediatrics Department and Dr. Tao Kwan-Gett with the Washington State Public Health Department say they are concerned about the growing trend in cases.
“Measles was essentially eliminated in the United States in the past, and now it’s not anymore,” Ebel said.
In 2025, new Washington State Department of Health data shows only 90% of kindergartners got the measles vaccine.
“We need vaccination levels to be at 95% to put a stop to the trends, but we are seeing numbers dropping below that and much lower in certain communities,” Ebel said.
There are 24 confirmed cases in Washington so far this year, and all of them have one thing in common.
“All of our cases have either been unvaccinated or have unknown vaccination status,” Kwan-Gett said.
Ebel said measles was eradicated from the United States for years, but now the trend is going in the wrong direction.
“Throughout the world, this is one of the leading killers of children,” Ebel said.
These health officials say this is because of the virus’s ability to spread rapidly.
“If you go to the grocery store or church or even the Seahawks parade, the virus lurks in the air for two hours after somebody infectious has walked through,” Ebel said.
Kwan-Gett is begging parents to help stop the spread of measles.
“MMR vaccine is one of the most effective vaccines we have, and getting more and more families vaccinated will reduce the risk of having a large outbreak like other states have,” Kwan-Gett said.
They tell us anyone at any age can get the measles vaccine at any time.
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