Hawaii is one of fifteen states reporting cases in the biggest measles outbreak in more than a decade.

Almost all of the cases in Hawaii are imported which poses a serious risk for parents who are choosing not to immunize their children.

A virus nearly erased from North and South America is making people sick once again.

“Because of continuing measles outbreaks in Europe and Asia measles has been reintroduced to fifteen states,” Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Marian Melish said.

A 127 people in fifteen states including Hawaii have been infected by measles...bringing Hawaii's count up to 5 cases this year.

“Four of those were imported from out of the state, one case was a household member of someone who traveled and got measles internationally,” Department of Health Janice Okubo said.

Health officials say the outbreak of infection comes from travelers who have not been immunized.

“Well you know as in the measles we see these diseases circulating worldwide there still apparent in the world and other countries we have a lot of visitors here in Hawaii,” Okubo said.

Health experts say a recent surge in Hawaii parents refusing to immunize their children poses a huge risk.

“About one child out of a thousand will die of measles and about one child out of a thousand will be seriously brain damaged or have other serious complications,” Dr. Melish said.

According to health officials some parents have asked for exemptions to public school vaccination requirements...they fear the shots will make their child sick or cause autism.

“Fears are not proven. As time goes on we find that vaccines are safer now than ever before and the schedule that we do which does have a lot of vaccines is to prevent the disease in the children when they are most vulnerable,” Dr. Melish said.

According to the center for disease control the numbers haven't been this high in nearly 10 years, the most recent serious outbreak from 1989 to 1991 infected 55,000 and killed 123 people...but health officials say infection is preventable.

“These types of illnesses like measles are very serious illnesses can be prevented if we simply get vaccinated,’ Okubo said.