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Pennsylvania measles cases surpass 1,500, state health department says

Reuters
Pennsylvania measles cases surpass 1,500, state health department says

Nov 9 (Reuters) - The number ‌of measles cases in Pennsylvania reached 1,505 as of Monday, up 18 ​from the ‌previous update on Friday, as the state ‌battles its worst outbreak of the disease in years.

Here are more details:

• Pennsylvania reported ‌73 new cases over the past seven days, according to the state health department's dashboard

• Measles-related hospitalizations rose to 290 from 287 in the ⁠previous update

• The state has reported six ‌measles-associated deaths this year

• ⁠People under 18 accounted for 33% of cases

• ​Fewer than 1% of infected people in the state were fully vaccinated

• The CDC ​reported 5,182 US measles cases in the ​US ‌as of November 5, the highest annual tally ​since 1991

• People who were unvaccinated ⁠or whose vaccination status was ‌unknown accounted for ​96% of US cases ​this year

• Pennsylvania remains the state hardest hit by the outbreak, followed by South Carolina and Utah, according to Centers for Disease ‌Control and Prevention data

• A Pan American Health Organization expert commission is due to review ‌whether ​the US still meets the criteria for measles elimination at its meeting this week. The country has held that status since 2000

(Reporting by Kunal ‌Das in Bengaluru; Editing by Sahal Muhammed)