A Measles Outbreak Has Hospitalized More Than 32 Kids in Ohio

The Columbus, Ohio, area has an outbreak of the disease. Unvaccinated children have been involved in most of the cases. The most recent case was detected last week, so it's not clear how long the outbreak will last.

The first cases are thought to have started in October, after Columbus Public Health first reported the outbreak. There are now more than 80 confirmed cases of the disease in the area and 32 children have been hospitalized. There have been no deaths.

Measles is an infectious disease that can cause flu-like symptoms and a distinctive rash. The risk of life-threatening problems is greater in young children than in older ones. The effects of a typical case of the measles virus can be far-reaching. There is a vaccine that has helped drive out the spread of the disease in the U.S.

Up to 100,000 people a year, mostly children under five, are killed by the disease due to the fact that many areas of the world still don't have a vaccine. Cases imported from other countries can sometimes cause an outbreak in the U.S., and that has happened here.

At least 74 cases have been in unvaccinated children. Four other cases have been reported in partially-vaccinated children. The majority of cases involve children between the ages of one and five, meaning that they are eligible for vaccinations. Many of these children have parents who didn't want them to get vaccine

The first few years of the Pandemic saw a decrease in the number of reported cases. The virus is likely to make a comeback this year, thanks in part to disrupted childhood vaccination programs and growing anti-vaccination sentiment. Measles is considered an imminent public health threat by the World Health Organization.

There are worrying trends in the U.S. when it comes to measles. According to a recent survey by the Kaiser Foundation, there has been an increase in the number of adults who don't agree with childhood vaccine mandates. The increase appears to be concentrated among Republicans. The number of people who think that parents should decide if their children get vaccinations even at the cost of endangering others has gone up. The public's support for children needing to get the vaccine has gone down.

The outbreak may not be over despite the decline in new cases recently. According to CPH data, the most recent case was on December 19th. It can take up to two weeks for a new case of measles to show up.