AKIPRESS.COM - The number of measles cases has reached alarming levels in the United States, with 1,284 confirmed cases and three deaths reported as of July 5, according to the Johns Hopkins Institute. This closely aligns with the 1,267 confirmed cases reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as of July 2.

This year's figures represent a record high since at least 1992, when 2,126 cases were recorded throughout the entire year. In contrast, nearly 1,300 cases have emerged in just half a year, with new infections appearing regularly. This surge comes despite U.S. authorities declaring measles eliminated as a circulating disease within the country back in 2000.

Several American vaccination experts told The Guardian that the actual number of cases this year could be significantly higher. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, stated that confirmed cases are merely "the tip of a much larger iceberg." Peter Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, attributes the measles outbreaks to areas in the U.S. with the lowest vaccination rates.

In June, U.S. Secretary of Health Robert Kennedy Jr., known for his controversial views on vaccination, fired all 17 experts from the CDC's vaccination advisory board. He subsequently appointed seven "ideological allies" who support vaccine refusal. The newly composed committee intends to revise child vaccination guidelines in line with their stance.