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Doctors urge vaccination amid measles outbreaks in U.S.

PITTSBURGH — Doctors across the country are urging parents to vaccinate their children after hundreds of measles cases have been reported.

"I recommend getting them because you never know what you're around and who has something so make sure you get it," Earl Carter III said.

The Centers for Disease Control had once considered measles eradicated in the United States. But it is now occurring in record numbers.

So far this year there have been 397 confirmed measles cases in the U.S., the highest in 20 years. More than 200 of those are in Ohio, primarily among unvaccinated Amish communities, officials said.

In Allegheny County, the Department of Health reported two confirmed cases this year.

"We're actually seeing a surge in measles in a lot of countries outside of the U.S,” said Dr. Michael Green at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. “That makes sense because that's the source of cases being brought to the United States."

The CDC reports nearly all of the recent outbreaks involve unvaccinated people who brought the disease back after a trip overseas.

"The number one thing you can do to protect your family, that is both your kids and yourself, is to make sure that your children are fully immunized," said Green

The CDC urges you to make sure your vaccinations are up to date if you’re traveling internationally.

Doctors recommend two doses of the vaccine for children. One when your child is 12 to 15 months old, and the second between 4 to 6 years old.

WPXI

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