In a Facebook post Wednesday, the Northside Hospital Maternity page brought attention to the current measles outbreaks across the country.
» RELATED: Georgia health officials confirm three cases of measles
Citing a Parents.com story in which a New York county issued a ban on unvaccinated minors in public places, Northside wrote, "New York isn't the only state to have a recent measles outbreak. Fourteen others—Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas, and Washington—also reported outbreaks this year."
The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is currently monitoring a total of six national outbreaks and as of Thursday, March 21, the agency had confirmed 314 reported cases, including three in Georgia.
In New York's Rockland County alone, officials reported 153 cases of measles, many of whom are children among Orthodox Jewish families. This outbreak led to a ban on unvaccinated minors in public spaces.
According to Kaiser Health News, cases have ticked up in recent years due in part to anti-vaccine activists "who have claimed, without evidence, that vaccines cause a variety of problems, including autism."
Northside urges parents to speak with their children’s pediatricians about vaccinations and follow their advice.
» RELATED: Unvaccinated children banned from public spaces to curb measles outbreak
For providers, the CDC recommends “routine childhood immunization for MMR vaccine starting with the first dose at 12 through 15 months of age, and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age or at least 28 days following the first dose.”