Santa Cruz County and other public health officials in the Bay Area are urging the public to get the measles vaccine, if they haven’t already, as case numbers rise at state and national levels. As of Tuesday, no measles cases had been reported in Santa Cruz County. SANTA CRUZ — Santa Cruz County public health leaders have joined 12 neighboring jurisdictions in urging measles vaccination amid an uptick in cases at state and national levels.
According to the release, distributed last Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had documented 64 cases of measles within 17 jurisdictions across the country in 2024, with 90% of the cases linked to international travel. By Tuesday, those figures had been updated on the CDC’s website to 97 cases across 18 jurisdictions as of March 28.
Given the Bay Area’s three major airports and status as a popular international travel destination, the officials wrote, the region is at increased risk of exposure. Risk of an infection becomes heightened for individuals or families that plan to travel internationally who are also not vaccinated. Those returning to the U.S. from international travel should monitor for symptoms for at least three weeks.
According to historical data from the CDC, 1,274 individual measles cases were confirmed across the country in 2019 — the highest total reported in the U.S. since 1992. That year, alanded at San Francisco International Airport and was treated in a facility outside of Santa Cruz County once they got off the plane.
The health officials suggested that those with questions about the vaccine or immunization records check in with their health care provider.Miss Manners: My husband embarrassed me at the family Easter party