Informative Speech On Measles

Good morning. My name is Brynn Fowler and I am here with KUER this morning to report on the recent measles outbreak in Salt Lake County. We have confirmed 12 cases of measles this month, 3 of them in adults and 9 of them in children. We have urged the public to receive prompt immunization against this contagious virus. In response to the health alert issued by the Utah Department of Health, I am here to talk a bit about the outbreak to give it some context.
There is evidence that measles has been with humanity for a long time. The history of measles dates back to the 9th century when an Arab physician distinguished between measles and smallpox in his medical notes. In 1757, a Scottish physician, Francis Home, demonstrated that measles was caused by an infectious agent that was present in the blood of his patients. Two hundred years later in 1954, John F. Enders and Thomas C. Peebles were able to isolate the virus that causes measles in Boston, Massachusetts. Before
These secondary outbreaks occur primarily in unvaccinated children. In the United States, approximately 91 percent of the population is vaccinated against the measles virus. This is a fairly high uptake but there is room for improvement. From January 1 to May 23, 2014 a total of 288 confirmed cases of measles were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This number is the highest number of reported cases since elimination in 2000. This large number of cases of measles in the United States emphasizes that it still represents a significant public health problem here that needs heightened awareness. Anyone who plans to travel internationally should be aware of the risks and should receive vaccination. Sustaining high vaccination coverage across the nation should be a top