Following two Disney theme park outbreaks that occurred between Dec. 15 and Dec. 20, the measles have struck  again, this time in the San Francisco Bay area. Since the middle of December, a total of 59 cases have been noted, according to Erin Allday, from the SFGATE, a popular San Francisco newspaper. The California Department of Public Health has announced that the measles have now appeared in Alameda, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, as well as Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, San Bernardino, Ventura and Santa Clara counties. Thought to have been nearing containment, the outbreak now continues to spread.

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease that thrives in nose and throat mucus. It is easily spread from person to person through sneezing and coughing. Someone can breathe in contaminated air, or touch an infected surface, then touch their mouth, eyes, or nose and can catch the disease. According the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 90 percent of close relatives and friends of an infected individual, if not immunized, will become infected as well. This in itself could lead to a major outbreak of the measles, if an entire family chooses against the vaccine.

Initially, the measles outbreak from the Disney Theme parks included several cases in California, with remaining cases in another four states and Mexico. Most of the people who contracted the disease had not been vaccinated against it. Thirty-four of the 59 total cases involved in this outbreak have had their vaccination status confirmed, and 28 were found not to have received a vaccine for the measles virus. Forty-two out of the 59 cases are linked to the outbreak from Disneyland theme parks in Southern California. With a large group of people contracting the virus, and Disneyland being a popular tourist attraction, a vaccination may help to prevent future occurrences.

The measles vaccine is usually given as an MMR, a combination of a vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella. Vaccines.gov notes the vaccine is solidly supported by public health and medical professionals. In children, it is recommended the first dose be given between 12 and 18 months of age. Then the child receives a second dose before entering school between the ages of 6 and 8. Adults born after 1957 who have not been vaccinated are recommended for at least one dosing of the vaccine. Higher risk adults such as travelers, college students, health-care workers, and woman of childbearing age are recommended to receive two doses to keep the disease from spreading.

The measles are still very common in some parts of the world today, including countries in the Pacific, Asia, Africa, and Europe. The virus is often spread through travelers, and most people who contract the virus have not had the vaccination. The CDC states there were a total of 23 outbreaks, and 644 cases during the year 2014, which was a record high since the U.S. had documented an elimination of the disease in the year 2000. Although in comparison to last year the Disney measles outbreak appears small, it is still early and the disease has just recently spread to the Bay Area. As time continues to move forward, the spreading of the measles connected to Disney theme parks is expected to continue throughout California and the United States.