Back in 2010, the measles was considered eliminated in The United States. But the disease is making a comeback…and the consequences could be dire for some children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed 228 cases of measles in 12 states so far this year…on track to be a record-breaking year. The cases are linked to unvaccinated American travelers bringing measles back into the U.S. from other countries where large measles outbreaks are occurring, such as Israel and Ukraine, the CDC says. 

Public health officials blame the outbreaks on more and more families choosing not to have their children vaccinated because of a spread of misinformation online and on social media about the risks and effectiveness of vaccines. The CDC considers the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, to be safe and effective. 

          Dr. Dana Hawkinson is an infectious disease specialist at The University of Kansas Health System. In the video, he talks about the dangers of the measles…which in some cases can include pneumonia, spinal cord infection and even death. He describes the symptoms of the disease, and how the number of cases has risen tenfold in the past decade. He says the vaccine has been proven safe and effective after decades of use.