Measles, one of the most contagious diseases humans have ever faced, is now crossing state borders. An infected individual took an Amtrak train to Washington, D.C. less than a week ago and exposed countless travelers to the disease, which can cause fevers, rashes, pneumonia, and even death. Around 90 percent of unvaccinated people exposed to the disease could contract it. D.C. health officials confirmed the positive case on Tuesday and are alerting anyone who may have come in contact with the infected individual. It’s the first case confirmed in D.C. since the outbreak popped up in Texas, which already has 327 cases. Measles is also on the rise globally, with numbers already outpacing last year’s levels. The disaster comes at a time where Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly expressed baseless doubts about the vaccine’s efficiency and refused to urge people to get it. He dismissed the measles death that killed a child as “not unusual,” claimed that it would be better if “everybody got measles,” and said vitamin A and “good nutrition” will stop the spread. The CDC, however, says that two doses of the vaccine offers 97 percent protection.
