The national measles tally exceeded 1,000 cases this week, spurring HHS Secretary Alex Azar to renew his call for vaccinations.
The CDC reported 1,001 measles cases nationwide as of June 5. This figure marks the highest annual case count since 1992, when the CDC reported 2,237 cases.
"The 1,000th case of a preventable disease like measles is a troubling reminder of how important that work is to the public health of the nation," Mr. Azar said in a press release. "We cannot say this enough: Vaccines are a safe and highly effective public health tool that can prevent this disease and end the current outbreak."
Last week, the CDC warned that the U.S. could lose its measles eradication status if measles outbreaks continue through the summer and fall. The CDC declared measles eradicated in the U.S. in 2000.