Health & Wellness

CDC: Top things parents need to know about measles, vaccinations

October 25, 2019

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From Jan. 1 to Oct. 3, 2019, 1,250 individual cases of measles have been confirmed in 31 states. The Centers for Disease Control will now be updating these data monthly.

• This is the greatest number of cases reported in the U.S. since 1992. More than 75 percent of the cases this year are linked to outbreaks in New York. Measles is more likely to spread and cause outbreaks in U.S. communities where groups of people are unvaccinated.

• The majority of cases are among people who were not vaccinated against measles.

• Measles can cause serious complications. From Jan. 1-Oct. 3, 2019, 119 of the people who got measles this year were hospitalized, and 61 reported having complications, including pneumonia and encephalitis.

Measles is still common in many parts of the world. Travelers with measles continue to bring the disease into the U.S. Measles can spread when it reaches a community in the U.S. where groups of people are unvaccinated.

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Top things parents need to know about measles

You may be hearing a lot about measles lately. And all of this news on TV, social media, Internet, newspapers and magazines may leave you wondering what you as a parent really need to know about this disease. CDC has put together a list of the most important facts about measles for parents.

Some people think of measles as just a little rash and fever that clears up in a few days, but measles can cause serious health complications, especially in children younger than 5 years of age. There is no way to tell in advance the severity of the symptoms your child will experience.

Measles is very contagious and can be serious. An unvaccinated child can get measles when traveling abroad or even in the U.S. Two doses of MMR vaccine provide the best protection against measles for your child.

Measles can be serious

About one in five people in the U.S. who get measles will be hospitalized. One out of every 1,000 people with measles will develop brain swelling, which could lead to brain damage. One to three out of 1,000 people with measles will die, even with the best care.

Some of the more common measles symptoms include: high fever (may spike to more than 104° F); cough; runny nose (coryza); red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis); and rash (three to five days after symptoms begin).

Measles is very contagious

• Measles spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It is so contagious that if one person has it, up to nine out of 10 people around him or her will also become infected if they are not protected.

• Your child can get measles just by being in a room where a person with measles has been, even up to two hours after that person has left.

• An infected person can spread measles to others even before knowing he/she has the disease—from four days before developing the measles rash through four days afterward.

Your child can still get measles in United States

Measles was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000 thanks to a highly effective vaccination program. Eliminated means that the disease is no longer constantly present in this country. However, measles is still common in many parts of the world. Each year around the world, an estimated 10 million people get measles, and about 110,000 of them die from it.

Even if your family does not travel internationally, you could come into contact with measles anywhere in your community. Every year, measles is brought into the United States by unvaccinated travelers (mostly Americans and sometimes foreign visitors) who get measles while they are in other countries. Anyone who is not protected against measles is at risk.

You have the power to protect your child against measles with a safe and effective vaccine

• The best protection against measles is measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. MMR vaccine provides long-lasting protection against all strains of measles.

• Your child needs two doses of MMR vaccine for best protection: the first dose at 12 through 15 months of age; the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age.

• If your family is traveling overseas, the vaccine recommendations are a little different: If your baby is 6 through 11 months old, he or she should receive one dose of MMR vaccine before leaving. If your child is 12 months of age or older, he or she will need two doses of MMR vaccine (separated by at least 28 days) before departure.

• Another vaccine, the measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV) vaccine, which protects against four diseases, is also available to children 12 months through 12 years of age.

Q&A: Protection against measles

Am I protected against measles?

CDC considers you protected from measles if you have written documentation (records) showing at least one of the following: you received two doses of measles-containing vaccine, and you are a(n): school-aged child (grades K-12); an adult who will be in a setting that poses a high risk for measles transmission, including students at post-high school education institutions, healthcare personnel, and international travelers; you received one dose of measles-containing vaccine, and you are a(n): preschool-aged child; an adult who will not be in a high-risk setting for measles transmission; a laboratory confirmed that you had measles at some point in your life; a laboratory confirmed that you are immune to measles; you were born before 1957.

For international travelers, CDC considers you protected from measles if you have written documentation (records) showing at least one of the following: you received one dose of measles-containing vaccine, and you are an infant aged 6–11 months; you received two doses of measles-containing vaccine, and you are a person 12 months or older; a laboratory confirmed that you had measles at some point in your life; a laboratory confirmed that you are immune to measles; You were born before 1957.

Do I ever need a booster vaccine?

No. CDC considers people who received two doses of measles vaccine as children according to the U.S. vaccination schedule protected for life, and they do not ever need a booster dose. If you’re not sure whether you are fully vaccinated, talk with your doctor.

I am an adult now but only got one dose of measles vaccine as a child. Do I need a second dose?

If you were born after 1957 you need at least one dose of measles vaccine unless a laboratory confirmed that you had past measles infection or are immune to measles.

Certain adults may need two doses. Adults who are going to be in a setting that poses a high risk for measles transmission should make sure they have had two doses separated by at least 28 days.

These adults include: students at post-high school education institutions; healthcare personnel; international travelers; and people who public health authorities determine are at increased risk for getting measles during a measles outbreak.

If you’re not sure whether you are up to date on measles vaccine, talk with your doctor.

Q&A: Who needs a measles vaccine?

What should I do if I’m unsure I’m immune to measles?

If you’re unsure whether you’re immune to measles, you should first try to find your vaccination records or documentation of measles immunity. If you do not have written documentation of measles immunity, you should get vaccinated with measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.

There is no harm in getting another dose of MMR vaccine if you may already be immune to measles (or mumps or rubella). Another option is to have a doctor test your blood to determine whether you’re immune, but this is generally not recommended.

So people who got the killed measles vaccine in the 1960s need to be revaccinated with the current, live measles vaccine?

Yes, people who know they got the killed measles vaccine (an earlier formulation of measles vaccine that is no longer used) should talk to their doctor about getting revaccinated with the current, live measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.

Not many people fall into this group; the killed vaccine was given to less than 1 million people between 1963 and 1967. Also, most people don’t know if they got the killed vaccine during this time.

If you’re unsure whether you fall into this group, you should first try to find your vaccination records or documentation of measles immunity. If you do not have written documentation of measles immunity, you should get vaccinated with measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.

Q&A: Measles vaccine

How effective is the measles vaccine?

The measles vaccine is very effective. Two doses of measles vaccine are about 97 percent effective at preventing measles if exposed to the virus. One dose is about 93 percent effective.

How long does it take for the measles vaccine to work in your body?

For the measles vaccine to work, the body needs time to produce protective antibodies in response to the vaccine. Detectable antibodies generally appear within just a few days after vaccination. People are usually fully protected after about two or three weeks.

If you’re traveling internationally, make sure to get up to date on all your measles shots. You should plan to be fully vaccinated at least two weeks before you depart. If your trip is less than two weeks away and you’re not protected against measles, you should still get a dose of measles vaccine.

How does the measles vaccine work?

When you get measles vaccine, your immune system makes protective virus-fighting antibodies against the harmless vaccine virus. Measles vaccine protects you from wild-type measles because if you have been vaccinated and then are exposed to someone with measles, your body remembers how to fight off the wild-type virus. That’s because the vaccine trained your immune system.

Could I still get measles if I am fully vaccinated?

Very few people—about three out of 100—who get two doses of measles vaccine will still get measles if exposed to the virus. Experts aren’t sure why. It could be that their immune systems didn’t respond as well as they should have to the vaccine. But the good news is, fully vaccinated people who get measles are much more likely to have a milder illness. And fully vaccinated people are also less likely to spread the disease to other people, including people who can’t get vaccinated because they are too young or have weakened immune systems.

Q&A: Exposure to measles

I’ve been exposed to someone who has measles. What should I do?

Immediately call your doctor and let them know that you have been exposed to someone who has measles. Your doctor can make special arrangements to evaluate you, if needed, without putting other patients and medical office staff at risk, and determine if you are immune to measles based on your vaccination record, age, or laboratory evidence.

If you are not immune to measles, MMR vaccine or a medicine called immune globulin may help reduce your risk developing measles. Your doctor can advise you, and monitor you for signs and symptoms of measles.

If you are not immune and do not get MMR or immune globulin, you should stay away from settings where there are susceptible people (such as school, hospital, or childcare) until your doctor says it’s okay to return. This will help ensure that you do not spread it to others.

I think I have measles. What should I do?

Immediately call your doctor and let them know about your symptoms so that they can tell you what to do next. Your doctor can make special arrangements to evaluate you, if needed, without putting other patients and medical office staff at risk.

My doctor or someone from the health department told me that I have measles. What should I do?

If you have measles, you should stay home for four days after you develop the rash. Staying home is an important way to not spread measles to other people. Ask your doctor when it is safe to be around other people again.

You should also cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and put your used tissue in the trash can. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow, not your hands. Wash your hands often with soap and water. Avoid sharing drinks or eating utensils. Disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as toys, doorknobs, tables, and counters. Standard household disinfectants will readily kill the measles virus.

Call your doctor if you are concerned about your symptoms.