“The 1,000th case of a preventable disease like measles is a troubling reminder of how important that work is to the public health of the nation", HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement on Wednesday. “We cannot say this enough: Vaccines are a safe and highly effective public health tool that can prevent this disease and end the current outbreak".
READ MORE: US Records Greatest Number of Measles Cases Since 1994 — CDC
In response to the outbreak, CDC has developed a toolkit with resources to increase public awareness and address safety concerns associated with the vaccines, stemming from misinformation.
The CDC has deployed an immunization program project officer to Albany, New York, the region where the majority of cases in the current outbreak originated.
The measles outbreak in New York State has seen a steady increase for the past seven months, according to the CDC.
The agency projects that if the current trend continues through the fall, the United States may lose the measles elimination status it received in 2000.
READ MORE: Worker’s Measles-Induced Coma Prompts More Than 250 Vaccinations For El Al Crews
