


As a result of high vaccination rates in general, measles hasn't been widespread in the United States for more than a decade. The United States averaged about 60 cases of measles a year from 2000 to 2010, but the average number of cases jumped to 205 a year in recent years. Most of these cases originate outside the country and occurred in people who were unvaccinated or who didn't know whether or not they had been vaccinated.



  • Fever
  • Dry cough
  • Runny nose
  • Sore throat
  • Inflamed eyes (conjunctivitis)





When to see a doctor


Review your family's vaccination records with your doctor, especially before your children start elementary school or college and before international travel.


Measles is a highly contagious illness caused by a virus that replicates in the nose and throat of an infected child or adult. Then, when someone with measles coughs, sneezes or talks, infected droplets spray into the air, where other people can inhale them.

The infected droplets may also land on a surface, where they remain active and contagious for several hours. You can contract the virus by putting your fingers in your mouth or nose or rubbing your eyes after touching the infected surface.

About 90 percent of susceptible people who are exposed to someone with the virus will be infected.

Risk factors

Risk factors for measles include:

  • Having a vitamin A deficiency. If you don't have enough vitamin A in your diet, you're more likely to have more-severe symptoms and complications.


Complications of measles may include:

  • Encephalitis. About 1 in 1,000 people with measles develops a complication called encephalitis. Encephalitis may occur right after measles, or it might not occur until months later.
  • Pregnancy problems. If you're pregnant, you need to take special care to avoid measles because the disease can cause preterm labor, low birth weight and maternal death.


The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children and adults receive the measles vaccine to prevent measles.

Measles vaccine in children

To prevent measles in children, doctors usually give infants the first dose of the vaccine between 12 and 15 months, with the second dose typically given between ages 4 and 6 years. Keep in mind:

  • If you'll be traveling abroad when your child is 6 to 11 months old, talk with your child's doctor about getting the measles vaccine earlier.
  • If your child or teenager didn't get the two doses at the recommended times, he or she may need two doses of the vaccine four weeks apart.

Measles vaccine in adults

You may need the measles vaccine if you're an adult who:

  • Has an increased risk of measles — such as attending college, traveling internationally or working in a hospital environment — and you don't have proof of immunity. Proof of immunity includes written documentation of your vaccinations or lab confirmation of immunity or previous illness.
  • Was born in 1957 or later and you don't have proof of immunity. Proof of immunity includes written documentation of your vaccinations or lab confirmation of immunity or previous illness.

If you're not sure if you need the measles vaccine, talk to your doctor.

Preventing measles during an outbreak or known infection




  • Vaccinate. Be sure that anyone who's at risk of getting the measles who hasn't been fully vaccinated receives the measles vaccine as soon as possible. This includes infants older than 6 months and anyone born in 1957 or later who doesn't have written documentation of being vaccinated, or who doesn't have evidence of immunity or having had measles in the past.

Preventing new infections




    But herd immunity may now be weakening a bit, likely due to a drop in vaccination rates. The incidence of measles in the U.S. recently increased significantly.

  • Preventing a resurgence of measles. Steady vaccination rates are important because soon after vaccination rates decline, measles begins to come back. In 1998, a now-discredited study was published erroneously linking autism to the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.

    In the United Kingdom, where the study originated, the rate of vaccination dropped to an all-time low of about 80 percent of all children in 2003-2004. In 2008, there were nearly 1,400 lab-confirmed cases of measles in England and Wales.

May 24, 2019
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