Not just measles: Another outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease is happening | CNN

Measles is not the only vaccine-preventable disease making headlines. Health officials in Maryland have issued an alert after confirming an uptick in mumps cases — 26 reported so far this year as of February 19, including 19 confirmed and seven probable infections, according to the Maryland Department of Health. Nationally, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that as of late February, 11 jurisdictions have documented 34 cases. South Carolina measles outbreak is largest in US since measles was declared eliminated Mumps was once a routine childhood illness in the United States before the US Food and Drug Administration approved the first vaccine in 1967 and vaccination dramatically reduced cases. The number of cases in the US decreased from 152,209 in 1968 to 231 in 2003, according to the CDC. But mumps cases and outbreaks have increased since 2006. So why are outbreaks still occurring — and who should be concerned now? To help with these and other questions, I turned to CNN wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and clinical associate professor at George Washington University. She previously was Baltimore’s health commissioner. CNN: Wha