Measles Cases Up Nationally

Nationally, reported cases of measles have hit the highest number since 2000 when officials believed the disease had been essentially wiped out, but no confirmed cases of the disease have been reported in Michigan thus far in 2014. A spokesperson for the Department of Community Health told Gongwer News Service that one suspected case of measles has been reported, but that has not yet been confirmed. So far in 2014, 514 cases of measles have been reported nationwide, twice as many as were reported in 2011, the most recent year with a high number, and federal health officials fear that number will increase. Health officials say the resistance parents have shown towards vaccinating their children, whether for religious reasons or from unwarranted fears that vaccines could cause autism, has been blamed for the resurgence of the disease.