Since the beginning of 2015, the measles have infected 102 people from 14 states — 92 percent of the cases that have been reported have stemmed from one outbreak that originated at Disneyland in California. The AAP has issued a press release urging parents to vaccinate their children, and Dr. Anne Schuchat, assistant surgeon general and director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, has assured parents that vaccinated children are safe, saying, "This is not a problem with the measles vaccine not working. This is a problem of the measles vaccine not being used."
So what do you need to know about this current outbreak? How contagious are the measles? (Answer: very.) Is it really a big deal if your child gets them? (Answer: yes.) Doesn't the vaccine cause autism? (Answer: NO.) These 10 facts about the measles outbreak answer these questions more in depth, and answer any other questions you might have about this disease and the vaccine.