TENNESSEE (WHNT) — The Tennessee Department of Health confirmed two more measles cases, bringing the statewide total to six.
TDH announced Thursday that two more people were confirmed to have measles in middle Tennessee. According to data uploaded Saturday, the two new confirmed cases come from the Upper Cumberland region.
The department has several graphics showing the specifics of those who have contracted measles, such as age groups and vaccination status for those who have confirmed cases. You can see those tables below.
TDH announced the first confirmed case in the state on March 21. The department said it was from a middle Tennessee resident and that the likely source of the infection was being investigated. On April 1, three more measles cases were confirmed, bringing the grand total to four.
As of April 17, the United States has 800 confirmed cases of measles.
The Centers for Disease Control provided statistics regarding the confirmed cases in the U.S. as of April 17:
Age
- Under five years old – 31% (249 cases)
- Five to 19 years old – 38% (304 cases)
- 20+ years old – 29% (231 cases)
- Age unknown – 2% (16 cases)
Vaccination Status
- Unvaccinated or unknown – 96%
- One MMR dose – 1%
- Two MMR doses – 2%
From the measles outbreak, the CDC is reporting that there are two confirmed deaths and one death that is under investigation. The two confirmed deaths are in Texas and the one under investigation is in New Mexico.
“Anyone who is not protected against measles is at risk,” the CDC wrote. “Some people think of measles as just a little rash and fever that clears up in a few days. But measles can cause serious health complications, especially in children younger than 5 years old. Measles is highly contagious. If one person has it, up to 9 out of 10 people nearby will become infected if they are not protected. The best protection against measles is the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. MMR vaccine provides long-lasting protection against all strains of measles.”
The CDC website says two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles and one dose is about 93% effective. You can learn more about measles and how to prevent it on the CDC website here.
For more information about measles, you can visit the TDH website here.
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