Dive Brief:
- Californias Department of Public Health said Friday that the measles outbreak that began at Disneyland in December and infected 131 Californians is now over. No new cases have been reported in 42 days.
- At least 56 of those infected had not been vaccinated, according to Gil Chavez, California's state epidemiologist.
- No deaths were reported during the outbreak, although about 1 in 5 who contracted the measles in California had to be hospitalized.
Dive Insight:
"If we had higher levels of immunity in the community, this outbreak would not have happened," Chavez said.
The immunization legacy of the outbreak remains to be seen. There has been a surge in vaccinations, likely a result of the high level of media attention, but state lawmakers are still wrangling over a piece of legislation that would close a loophole that allows parents the right to refuse state-required vaccinations due to personal beliefs while their children are still actively enrolled in public and private schools.