CDC: U.S. measles cases hit 20-year high, will continue to rise

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

CDC: U.S. measles cases hit 20-year high, will continue to rise
(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

As of May 23, 288 confirmed cases of measles have been reported in the United States this year, and that number will grow, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. This is the highest number since homegrown outbreaks were eliminated in 2000, USA Today says, and the highest tally for late May since 1994.

"This is not the kind of record we want to break, but should be a wake-up call for travelers and for parents to make sure vaccination records are up to date," said Anne Schuchat, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunizations and Respiratory Diseases.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.