A national measles outbreak continues with number of measles cases in the US now at 695, the highest annual number recorded since the disease was declared eliminated in this country almost 20 years ago. While no outbreak has been reported in Pennsylvania, Erie County Public Health Director Melissa Lyon explained to TalkErie.com how these outbreaks happen.
“Personal and religious exemptions are typically the reasons that individuals choose not to vaccinate their children completely for the recommendations for childhood immunizations. You’ll see these pockets, and then their rate of herd immunity is much lower than say the general population. And then they become prone for something like a measles outbreak like we are seeing right now,” Lyon said.
