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Measles outbreak in America: Quarantine for more than 150 unvaccinated children

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there have been 1.563 cases of measles in the United States so far this year, the highest number in 33 years.

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Photo: Getty Images
Photo: Getty Images
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.

South Carolina health authorities said more than 150 unvaccinated children have been placed in isolation for 21 days after coming into contact with people infected with measles.

After outbreaks in New Mexico and Texas, where hundreds of people were infected and three died, South Carolina is becoming a new hotspot.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1.563 cases of measles have been reported in the United States since the beginning of the year, the highest number in 33 years.

The children in isolation come from one elementary and one middle school in Spartanburg County, South Carolina.

The South Carolina Department of Public Health announced that the eighth case of measles has been confirmed in the past two weeks, this time in Greenville County in the northern part of the state.

"This shows that measles is actively spreading in the community and confirms the importance of vaccination," the ministry said in a statement.

The MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, and rubella) remains the safest and most effective way to protect against the disease.

This vaccine provides about 97 percent protection, and also protects against potentially fatal complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis.

Cases of infection have also been recorded in the states of Utah (55 people) and Arizona (63).

Earlier this year, hundreds of people were infected in West Texas and New Mexico - and three people died - the first recorded deaths from measles in the US since 2015.

Most of those infected were unvaccinated.

A large number of cases of contagious measles are also being recorded in the north, in Canada - especially in Alberta and Ontario.

Canadian authorities have reported a total of 5.024 cases, three times more than in the United States, even though Canada has a significantly smaller population.

How did Canada become the epicenter of the measles epidemic in North America?

This data raises numerous questions - how the disease is spreading so quickly and whether Canadian authorities are doing enough to contain the epidemic.

In America, the increase in the number of infections is partly linked to growing skepticism about vaccination, fueled by certain public figures.

Among them is Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known for his anti-vaccination views, although in this case he stated that he considered the measles vaccine safe.

Unlike in the United States, there is no publicly recognizable figure in Canada who would similarly influence public confidence when it comes to vaccination.

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