I remember last year, when mumps cases were springing up among the college -age population, into epidemic proportions. Those most effected were students who had not received the mumps vaccine.

Now, I read measles is making a comeback, primarily in individuals who are not vaccinated with the MMR vaccine. NPR ran a great story about this phenomenon, and how devastating the disease can be (especially to infants under 1 years of age, and children whose immune systems are compromised or suppressed).

I think it's wonderful that parents are asking more questions of their children's pediatricians and do not follow medical recommendations blindly.

But doctors now fear that parents fears of a link between autism and vaccinations may be causing an increase in measles, as well as potentially causing an increase in other diseases or viruses.

From a CNN report, it says "measles cases in the U.S. are at the highest level in more than a decade, with nearly half of those involving children whose parents rejected vaccination, health officials reported Thursday.

THURSDAY, Aug. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Some parents' refusal to vaccinate children seems to be behind the highest rate of measles cases reported since 1996, federal officials said Thursday.

Between Jan. 1 and July 31 of this year, 131 measles cases have been reported in the United States, many of them among children whose parents have philosophical or religious objections to the vaccine, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

At least 15 patients, including four children 15 months or younger, were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

The Center for Disease control has reported a record high measles outbreak in over a decade.

Infecting 127 U.S. citizens, compared to just 43 cases in 2007, rates have been unpredictably high so far this year.

Caused by a decrease in vaccinated persons and international travel, the infectious measles have spread to 15 states and Washington D.C.

These include Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, New York, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Washington.

To bring you up to speed on the measles outbreak that's springing across the United States, EmpowHer has created this overview for you. As of right now the outbreak has spread into 15 states, infecting 127 people and there's speculation the measles came to the U.S. from overseas travelers.

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REUTERS:
Measles outbreak hits 127 people in 15 states

The United States is on track to report its highest incidence of measles cases since 2001, exacerbated by a rise in outbreaks worldwide and by clusters of people who are opting out of the vaccine because of religious beliefs or fears of a purported link between the shot and autism, health officials said Thursday.

By Steven Reinberg
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, May 1 (HealthDay News) -- There were 64 confirmed cases of measles in the United States from January through April 25, the highest number of cases in that time period since 2001, U.S. health officials said Thursday.

By Amanda Gardner
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, April 29 (HealthDay News) -- New numbers show that more than a quarter of American toddlers may be under-vaccinated.

The study of children aged 19 months to 35 months found that missed doses account for about two-thirds of non-compliance to official recommendations. However, miss-timed doses are also an issue, according to a study conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and published in the June issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

By Alan Mozes
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, April 25 (HealthDay News) -- Although smoking is well-established as an independent risk factor for lung cancer, two new studies suggest that two different viral infections might boost a smoker's already substantial risk for developing the disease.