According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Measles is making a comeback. The absolute number of cases is small (there were about 150 cases reported in the first half of 2008) but the rate is much higher than past years (there wer only 42 cases reported in all of 2007). The CDC's review found that a number of cases involved home-schooled children not required to get the vaccines. Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through contact with an infected person and it can be deadly.
If you've not been vaccinated for Measles (most adults have been) or if you are high risk, ask your physician. Immunity to the measles virus (and others) can be confirmed by a simple blood test.
Written by Scott W. Yates, MD, MBA, MS, FACP
