A stark warning from health officials tonight.

New Jersey has lost its herd immunity to measles, putting residents here at greater risk of an outbreak from the highly contagious virus that has so far infected three people who traveled to New Jersey this year, potentially exposing others throughout the state.

The issue was raised during a recent budget hearing for the state Health Department, as officials within the agency stare down potential funding cuts and comes as the outbreak grows nationwide to more than 600 cases and three deaths.

For more on what's driving the lower rates of community resistance and what can be done about it, I'm joined by our health care writer, Lilo Stainton.

Lilo Herd immunity was not something that was part of our lexicon a few years ago.

Now I feel like everybody knows what it is.

But what is it?

And where are we at in the state right?

So for I believe it is different for different diseases.

Listen to me, the expert.

But for for measles, we're talking about north of 90 or higher than 95%.

And according to the health commissioner, we're now closer to 91 to 92%.

So that may not sound like a major drop.

But as she pointed out, that's the average.

And when you go to the data and look at county by county, you start to see there are some vulnerabilities like Ocean County for example, is at 80 below 85%.

So, you know, that means that 15% of your your residents are really at risk for disease like this.

Now, if it starts to spread, which it hasn't yet in the community in New Jersey, we're not.

In an.

Outbreak.

We're not in an outbreak.

Having individual cases doesn't equal an outbreak because they may be infected by somebody who then left.

The state isn't spreading it here.

So but it starts to raise questions.

Right?

What if and this isn't public health officials have worried about this for a long time now.

They're you know, the worst is coming to pass in Texas, where it is spreading.

So it's somewhat uncontrolled.

Yeah.

And of course, just this week, we had the report of of the third death of two children, one adult.

But I guess what's what's driving it?

I mean, is it the fact that people are just hesitant, skeptical of vaccines in this post-pandemic era, or are folks vaccinated and deciding, I don't want this one in particular?

Right.

So this is a vaccine that is given to children when they're young.

It's one of the many that children get.

And the admittedly, you know, there are a lot of shots that you that that we give, you know, infants and young children.

There are reasons for that, right?

They're more vulnerable at that age.

Their bodies are developing.

I think there is a lot of skepticism.

Right.

Clearly, COVID, you know, brought a lot of questions about vaccines.

I think doctors love to stress to me, and they are the experts.

To be clear, I'm listening to them not making this up, but they are they are telling me that this is, you know, an extremely safe vaccine.

And when you get the two shots as recommended, it's 97% effective, unlike the later we saw it with COVID in the later stages.

This is protects you against infection.

So it really is that kind of shield.

And what do we know about the health outcomes with measles?

I mean, we know it's we've had epidemic epidemiologists who have said it is the most contagious virus out there.

But I mean, how likely are you to have severe symptoms or in some cases a fatality?

So the likelihood is fairly low of of a fatality.

And symptoms can be mild.

The thing that is so unique about measles is that the it transmits for a long period of time.

It's like over a week you can be spreading this virus, including before you really come to know you have it.

Talk to me about concerns the health department has as they look to sort of shift the pots of money.

They're expecting to have less to work with.

Are they up for the task that they're.

Well, this this was the question that lawmakers were asking earlier this week.

Right.

And I think there is you know, and it's interesting to note that a lot of this came up, too, in the context of, oh, and let's remember, next summer we're going to be hosting this World Cup.

And as the commissioner said, with global events come global diseases.

So health officials are worried there's some more money in the state budget this year from state funds to sort of boost the system.

But it really comes back to what happens in Washington.

You know, this morning, RFK Jr was on television and he did recommend the measles vaccine, which is, you know, to Americans, that is somewhat of a shift from the comments he's made before.

But, you know, there's a lot of concern about, you know, lack of funds at the federal level, lack of of seriousness about the urgency that about this virus.

Yeah.

So still.

Yeah, still to be determined what it will come down to.

All right.

You can read Lilo Stainton's full report on our website.

NJSpotlightNews.org.

Lilo, thanks for coming in.

Thank you.