How the Measles Outbreak Started

The number of measles cases in the United States has risen to nearly 700 — the highest annual number recorded since 2000, when the disease was declared eliminated in the country. Many of those cases can be traced to ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities in New York. Guest: Sarah Maslin Nir, who covers New York City for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading:Officials in New York have taken extraordinary measures to fight the measles outbreak, including $1,000 fines and bans on unvaccinated children in public.The outbreak has Orthodox Jewish communities fearing a rise in anti-Semitism.How is measles transmitted? How safe is the vaccine? Here are answers to some questions about the disease.