Frequently Asked Questions about Measles in the U.S.

A: Immediately call your doctor and let him or her know that you have been exposed to someone who has measles. Your doctor can

• determine if you are immune to measles based on your vaccination record, age, or laboratory evidence, and
• make special arrangements to evaluate you, if needed, without putting other patients and medical office staff at risk.

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 help to advise you, and monitor you for signs and symptoms of measles.

If you 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.

A: 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)
  • 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
  • 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.

A: Immediately call your doctor and let him or her know about your symptoms you are having. Your doctor can

• determine if you are immune to measles based on your vaccination record or if you had measles in the past, and
• make special arrangements to evaluate you, if needed, without putting other patients and medical office staff at risk.

A: 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. Talk to your doctor to discuss when it is safe to return.

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, counters.

Call your doctor is you are concerned about your symptoms.

A: 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.

Adults need at least one dose of measles vaccine, unless they have evidence of immunity. 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, and international travelers.

If you’re not sure whether you were vaccinated, talk with your doctor. More information about who needs measles vaccine.

A: Nationally, the rates of people vaccinated against measles have been very stable since the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program began in 1994. In 2015, the overall national coverage for MMR vaccine among children aged 19—35 months was 91.9%. However, MMR vaccine coverage levels continue to vary by state, with MMR coverage levels of <90% observed in 2015 in several states and local areas. At the county or lower levels, vaccine coverage rates may vary considerably. Pockets of unvaccinated people can exist in states with high vaccination coverage, underscoring considerable measles susceptibility at some local levels.

For more information about 2015 childhood vaccination coverage, see a CDC MMWR.

A: In 2008, 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2015, states reported more measles cases compared with previous post-elimination years. CDC experts attribute this to:

• more measles cases than usual in some countries to which Americans often travel (such as England, France, Germany, India, the Philippines and Vietnam), and therefore more measles cases coming into the US, and/or
• more spreading of measles in U.S. communities with pockets of unvaccinated people.

For details about the increase in cases by year, see Measles Outbreaks.

A: State and local health departments have the lead in investigating measles cases and outbreaks when they occur. CDC helps and supports health departments in these investigations by—

• communicating with public health officials from states with reported measles cases and providing technical assistance.
• gathering data reported by states on confirmed measles cases and evaluating and monitoring these data from a national perspective.
• testing specimens for difficult diagnostic cases of suspected measles infection when requested by states.
• using Advanced Molecular Detection (AMD) methods to determine measles virus genotypes and strains.
• providing rapid assistance on the ground during outbreak investigations, often through a formal request by the state health department.
• investing in state and local health departments for public health infrastructure and laboratory capacity to support front-line response to suspected and confirmed measles cases.
• alerting clinicians, healthcare facilities, and public health officials around the country about current outbreaks and providing vaccine policy and clinical guidance for healthcare providers.
• providing information to public and healthcare providers through a variety of media including the CDC website.

More information about the surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases, like measles.

A: Every year, unvaccinated travelers (Americans or foreign visitors) get measles while they are in other countries and bring measles into the United States. They can spread measles to other people who are not protected against measles, which sometimes leads to outbreaks. This can occur in communities with unvaccinated people.

Most people in the United States are protected against measles through vaccination. So measles cases in the U.S. are uncommon compared to the number of cases before a vaccine was available. Since 2000, when public health officials declared measles eliminated from the U.S., the annual number of people reported to have measles ranged from a low of 37 people in 2004 to a high of 667 people in 2014.

A: Yes, measles could become endemic (constant presence of a disease in an area) in the United States again, especially if vaccine coverage levels drop. This can happen when people

• forget to get vaccinated on time,
• don’t know that they need a vaccine dose (this is most common among adults), or
• refuse vaccines for religious, philosophical or personal reasons.

Research shows that people who refuse vaccines tend to group together in communities. When measles gets into communities with pockets of unvaccinated people, outbreaks are more likely to occur. These communities make it difficult to control the spread of the disease. And these communities make us vulnerable to having the virus re-establish itself in our country.

High sustained measles vaccine coverage and rapid public health response are critical for preventing and controlling measles cases and outbreaks.

A: Yes, it’s possible. The first step is to eliminate measles from each country and region of the world. Once this happens, there will be no place from which measles can spread.

All member states in the six World Health Organization regions have committed to eliminating measles by the year 2020. Once every country eliminates a disease, health officials consider the disease “eradicated” from the world. See the Measles and Rubella Initiative for more information.