Philadelphia Measles Outbreak Expands to Six Confirmed Cases

Health officials attribute the outbreak to declining vaccination rates and failure to adhere to quarantine rules.

Philadelphia is experiencing a measles outbreak with six confirmed and three suspected cases, including two cases that have spread outside of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).
The outbreak began last month at CHOP when an infant was hospitalized and subsequently infected others, including an infant too young to be vaccinated, an unvaccinated older child, and the older child's unvaccinated parent.
One individual who was diagnosed with measles violated quarantine rules, exposing people in multiple locations including a day-care center, a Center City building with Jefferson Health offices, and potentially at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and Nazareth Hospital.
Health officials are blaming the outbreak on declining vaccination rates and failure to adhere to quarantine recommendations.
Measles is a highly infectious virus that can lead to serious complications such as respiratory failure, inflammation of the brain, and death, particularly in children under 5, pregnant people, and those with weakened immune systems.