Taking a trip? This NJ measles alert is for you

🔴 Measles cases have tripled nationwide

🔴 Cases have been reported in 25 states, including New Jersey

🔴 Experts blame the spike on international travel and unvaccinated individuals

Compared to the entirety of 2023, the number of reported measles cases nationwide in 2024 so far is up by more than 200%, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC's latest weekly update reported 188 cases of the infectious illness across the country this year. The total was 58 for all of 2023.

According to an alert on the New Jersey Department of Health website, many of the cases reported in 2024 are linked to international travel and are among children and individuals who had not received measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination.

NJDOH is urging all residents planning to travel — regardless of destination — to ensure that all vaccinations are up to date, including MMR.

"If you are traveling internationally with an infant 6-11 months of age, ask their pediatrician about MMR prior to travel," the alert says. "The NJDOH is also requesting that healthcare providers use every opportunity to assess for immunizations to ensure all patients are current on routine immunizations."

As of July 30, New Jersey has had two confirmed measles cases in 2024, according to NJDOH.

Measles is extremely contagious, and 90% of individuals in close contact with an infected person will get measles themselves if they are not vaccinated, according to officials.

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Symptoms can include fever, cough, runny nose, and a rash. Measles can also result in serious complications such as ear infections, pneumonia, or swelling of the brain; the disease can cause pregnant women to miscarriage.

The measles cases reported to the CDC in 2024 have come from 25 states, plus the District of Columbia. There have been 13 outbreaks (three or more related cases) so far this year, and 65% of cases have been outbreak-associated.

Children under 5 years old account for 43% of the U.S. cases in 2024.

Measles is not seasonal, but cases tend to spike during times of high travel. In 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic forced people indoors, just 13 individual cases were reported in the U.S.

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