From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.
这里是VOA慢速英语健康生活报道。
Measles can spread easily from person to person, but it is a fully preventable disease.
麻疹很容易在人与人之间传播，但这是一种完全可以预防的疾病。
The World Health Organization notes that a safe, effective vaccine has protected billions of children against measles over the past 50 years.
世界卫生组织（简称WHO）指出，过去50年，安全且有效的疫苗帮助数十亿儿童避免罹患麻疹。
However, all that progress is nowat risk.
但是，现在所有这些进展都面临着危险。
Katherine O'Brien is the director of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals at the WHO. She says that progress is at risk because of a failure to vaccinate children in all parts of the world.
"Measles as a virus is one of the most contagious infections that there is. For every case of measles that occurs in a setting where people are not immune, nine to 10 additional cases will occur simply because of exposure to that case."
Measles is a virus. It lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person. "It can spread to others through coughing and sneezing," reports the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Measles is spread through droplets in the air. The virus can live for up to two hours on surfaces where the infected person coughed or sneezed. If other people touch the surface or breathe the same air, they can get sick.
a discoloration of the skin (It begins on face and spreads downward.)
皮肤变色（一般先从面部开始，然后向下扩散）
A skin rash is the clearest sign that a person has the disease. However, the person can be contagious for up to four days before the rash appears. So, the infected person may not know they are sick and then pass the virus to others.
The WHO says 229,000 cases of measles were reported last year worldwide. But WHO officialsarenotsure ofthe exact number. They say the number of reported cases represents less than 10 percent of actual cases.
So, the disease is infecting millions of other people. And millions are not getting vaccinated. In 2017, the WHO reported that more than 19.9 million people were not protected against the measles.
Katrina Kertsinger is a WHO medical officer in the Expanded Program on Immunization. She says there have been measles outbreaks in all parts of Africa, including the island of Madagascar.
The WHO reports that in poor countries, many children do not get vaccinated because they do not live near health clinics. In wealthier countries, the measles vaccine is widely available. But some parents sometimes choose not to have their children vaccinated because of claims that the vaccine is dangerous.
In the United States, health officials are urging parents to get their children vaccinated for measles. Some parentsobject tovaccines for moral, religious, personal or philosophical reasons.
美国卫生官员敦促家长让孩子接种麻疹疫苗。一些家长因为道德、宗教、个人或哲学原因而反对疫苗。
U.S. health experts announced 19 years ago that the disease wasno longera threat to the public. Yet 18 states give parents the right not to vaccinate their children.
One such state is Washington in the Pacific Northwest. A recent outbreak of measles there has health officials working hard to contain it. On February 5, there were 50 cases of measles reported in Washington.
In the U.S., rural areas often have higher numbers of unvaccinated children. But there are also large numbers in some big cities, such as Houston, Austin and Seattle.
Measles makes people very sick, and it is especially dangerous for young children. It can lead to other health problems such as pneumonia or encephalitis. Encephalitis is a swelling, or enlargement, of the brain. It can be deadly or lead to permanent disability.
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