For the first time, a map has been created that allows people to type in their ZIP code and see an estimated percentage of their neighbors who have been vaccinated against measles, which can help determine the risk of the disease in their area.
Vaccination status is the most critical factor in determining one’s risk, doctors say, and lower rates of vaccination allow the virus to spread more easily in communities.
The data was provided through a collaboration of researchers from Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard School of Medicine and Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai with researchers publishing their findings on Thursday in the journal Nature Health.
