The number of measles cases in the United States has reached its highest level in 33 years, with outbreaks expected to persist due to national and international travel. This information comes from Dr. Tina Tan, a pediatric infectious disease expert at Northwestern University.
Dr. Tan, who is also a professor of pediatric infectious diseases at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and an infectious disease physician at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, stated: “The continued increase in measles cases is evidence that the disease is very transmissible in unvaccinated populations.” She emphasized that summer travel could exacerbate the spread of measles as more people move across the U.S. and abroad.
She further advised: “People need to ensure that they, their children and their families are all up to date on their measles and other vaccines as this is the best way to protect and prevent persons from getting sick with measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases.”
Dr. Tan, who also serves as president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, is available for media interviews. Interested parties can contact Kristin Samuelson to arrange an interview.