Maryland declares outbreaks in three counties with 14 new cases among unvaccinated residents, as the US faces its largest measles resurgence in decades and debates over vaccination policies intensify.
Maryland has declared measles outbreaks in three counties after confirming 14 new cases among unvaccinated residents, a sign of how quickly the disease can move through communities where protection is low. The state health department said the outbreaks were identified in St Mary’s, Carroll and Cecil counties, lifting Maryland’s total to 31 confirmed cases this year.
Officials said the recent cases have been concentrated largely among household contacts, with no public exposure sites identified and no evidence yet of wider community transmission. Meena Seshamani, the state’s health secretary, said measles is “highly contagious” and urged residents to make sure they are fully vaccinated, while stressing that the overall risk remains low for people who have completed the standard vaccine course.
The Maryland figures come as the United States is experiencing its largest measles resurgence in more than three decades, according to health reporting cited by Axios, with the CDC putting national cases this year at 2,777. Pennsylvania has also reported its first measles-related deaths in more than 30 years, underscoring how serious the disease can become when vaccination rates fall.
The outbreak has also sharpened attention on President Donald Trump’s campaign to change childhood vaccine policy. According to reports from The Guardian and Healthline, Trump has moved to split the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine into three separate shots and has questioned the existing schedule, prompting criticism from paediatric groups and some Republican lawmakers. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s health department has separately sought public input on vaccination policy changes, while Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services, has said the combined MMR jab is “not a lethal vaccine”. Maryland continues to recommend the standard MMR schedule, with a first dose at 12 to 15 months and a second at ages 4 to 6.
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