Measles Rise Spurs Health Officials’ Hopes for More Federal Cash

Public health advocates want Congress to boost federal support for immunization programs to more than $700 million next year as the country nears a milestone number of measles cases.

The pressure is mounting on lawmakers to respond to the more than 600 reported cases of measles, public health officials say. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned recently the number of confirmed cases of the disease will likely reach a 20-year high in coming weeks.

In response, physician groups and organizations that represent state and local health departments have been asking lawmakers to bolster a CDC vaccination program by ...