ABC 7: Measles Resurgence Sparks Concern as Outbreaks Spread Across US, Including CA

ABC 7 recently interviewed Priya Soni, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s, about the rise in measles cases in the U.S. and California because of declining vaccination rates for the disease.

Soni told ABC 7 news reporter Denise Dador that measles cases worldwide increased nearly 80% in 2023 and that the disease killed more than 130,000 people—mostly children—in 2022.

“Measles is extremely serious,” Soni told Dador.

“It’s horrible for children in the sense that it will lead to an increase in hospitalization, pneumonias and something called encephalitis [brain inflammation],” she said.

Soni told Dador that measles also is very contagious and dangerous for people who aren’t protected against the disease.

“It can remain airborne in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has left that particular area,” she said.

Soni told Dador that measles is on the rise because of pandemic-related vaccine hesitancy as well as skipped “well-child” visits during the pandemic, when children would have normally received vaccination.

“So that’s led to over 61 million missed doses of routine vaccinations,” Soni said.

Soni told Dador that the first of two measles vaccinations is usually given to children when they are 12 months old, but parents traveling with babies to areas where measles has spread should consult with their pediatrician.

“There may be an opportunity here to protect your child in that 6-month to 12-month period, as long as they’re above 6 months,” she said.

Click here to watch the entire segment on ABC 7.