Health Officials: Disneyland-Linked Measles Outbreak Now Over
ANAHEIM (CBSLA.com) — Health officials Friday said a measles outbreak believed to have started in Southern California and went on to spark a national debate over vaccines and public health is now over.
The most recent diagnosed case was confirmed March 2, which led officials to designate April 17 as the date when the outbreak would be considered over if there were no new cases reported.
California Department of Public Health (CDPH) officials made the announcement during a conference call with reporters.
An estimated 142 measles cases in seven states were linked to an infected Disneyland guest who visited the Orange County theme park in December.
Of the California cases, 40 were traced back to visitors or workers at Disneyland between Dec. 17-20, according to health officials.
The outbreak renewed public debate over so-called "anti-vaxxers", a term used to describe parents who opt out their kids from vaccination due to religious or philosophical reasons, or controversial fears that vaccines can lead to autism and developmental disorders.
At the height of the outbreak, several schools in the Southland - including Palm Desert High School and a Santa Monica daycare center - prohibited unvaccinated students from returning to class unless they could provide evidence that they had been vaccinated.
(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)