With measles cases surging globally, health officials tell us what LA County is doing right
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The last time Southern California experienced a huge measles scare was an outbreak that started at Disneyland in December 2014. It spread to seven states, Mexico and Canada.
Now international health experts are concerned about an international surge.
Last year, there were 10.3 million cases of measles globally -- an increase of 20% from the previous year, according to a newly released report from the World Health Organization.
Nearly 107,500 people died from measles worldwide in 2023 and children under the age of 5 were hit the hardest, the report found.
When it comes to the threat here at home, Los Angeles County health officials are watching the skies. LAX is a hub for international travel and a potential threat for measles.
"Many individuals who were infected with measles traveled through Los Angeles County," said Nava Yeganeh, M.D., MPH, Medical Director of Vaccine Preventable Disease for the L.A. County Department of Public Health.
This translates into a lot of close calls for those of us who live here. Yeganeh said five times between February and July, L.A. County health officials warned the public of where infected individuals had been. None led to secondary cases. Without vaccination, measles is highly contagious.
"If you have 10 people in a room who haven't received the vaccine, 9 of them will become infected if you walk into that room with measles," she said.
Symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose and watery and red eyes.
MORE: What is measles? What to know about symptoms, vaccine & treatment
The World Health Organization reports measles surged to more than 10 million cases in 2023, a 20 percent increase from the year before.
In the U.S this year, the CDC reports 277 measles cases across 30 states, more than four times the number of last year. California records 14 cases compared to four in 2023.
And in L.A. County, officials report zero cases in 2023 and so far this year, one measles case in a local resident. Yeganeh said the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is a valuable tool and credits the high number of kindergartners who've received their full series.
"Our rates did dip during the pandemic, but have caught up. And now we're over 95% -- 95% is the threshold we want to remain at if we want to have herd immunity," she said.
The numbers did show pockets of L.A. county where vaccination rates are lower.
Measles can be dangerous to adults. If you're unsure about vaccine status you check the state registry or ask your healthcare provider.
Yeganeh said if you're going to be traveling this holiday season with an infant, ask your pediatrician about getting an MMR dose under the age of one.
