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 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 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.

• If you have any questions regarding travel, please navigate to this webpage on the CDC website: website. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/level1/measles-globe https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/level1/measles-globe

If you become infected with measles, you are most contagious from four days before the rash appears until four days after the rash appears. Measles is a highly contagious respiratory illness spread through coughing and sneezing.

No, but if you only received one dose, talk with your healthcare provider to see if you may need to get a second dose to be considered fully vaccinated. 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 healthcare provider.

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 healthcare provider test your blood to determine whether you’re immune, but this is generally not recommended.

Yes, people who know they received the killed measles vaccine (an earlier formulation of measles vaccine that is no longer used) should talk to their healthcare provider 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 received 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. 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 healthcare provider test your blood to determine whether you’re immune, but this is generally not recommended.

When you get measles vaccine, your immune system makes protective virus-fighting antibodies against the weakened vaccine virus. Antibodies are proteins your body’s immune system produces in response to pathogens (disease-causing organisms). Measles vaccine protects you because if you have been vaccinated and then are exposed to someone with measles, your body remembers how to fight off the virus. That’s because the vaccine trained your immune system.

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 2 or 3 weeks. If you’re traveling internationally, make sure to get up to date on all your measles vaccines. You should plan to be fully vaccinated at least 2 weeks before you depart. If your trip is less than 2 weeks away and you’re not protected against measles, you should still get a dose of measles vaccine.

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 seem more likely to have a milder illness. Fully vaccinated people also seem 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.

Vitamin A cannot prevent measles. Vitamin A deficiency is a recognized risk factor for severe measles infections and can be a useful supplement treatment once someone has a measles infection.

Most people get enough vitamin A in their diet from foods like carrots, bell peppers, fish, broccoli, yogurt, and chicken. However, it is possible some people may need a supplement. Because vitamin A builds up in the body over time, there is a risk of vitamin A toxicity with taking too much supplemental vitamin A. It is important to talk to your doctor before taking additional vitamin A.

The best way to prevent measles is to be vaccinated with two doses of measles vaccine.

If a person who is sick gets rapidly worse or has any of symptoms below take them to the emergency department of hospital immediately.

• Trouble breathing (or breathing faster than normal)
• Pain when breathing or coughing
• Dehydration (dry nose and mouth, urinating less, crying without making tears)
• Fever or headache will not stop
• Confusion, decreased alertness, or severe weakness
• Blue color around the mouth, low energy, or difficulty feeding (for young children)

Immediately call your healthcare provider and let them know that you have been exposed to someone who has measles. Your healthcare provider can:

• Determine if you are immune to measles based on your vaccination record, age, or laboratory evidence.
• 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 of developing measles. Your healthcare provider 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 schools, hospitals, childcare, public transportation, or crowded areas). Consult your local health jurisdiction to determine the necessary quarantine period.  Quarantine is typically 21 days from the last exposure to a person infectious with measles, but it may be longer in an outbreak setting. This will help ensure that you do not spread it to others.

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

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 healthcare provider 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 healthcare provider if you are concerned about your symptoms.

Nationally, the rates of people vaccinated against measles have been high and stable since the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program began measuring vaccine coverage in 1994. In 2017, the overall national coverage for MMR vaccine among children aged 19–35 months was 92.7%. However, MMR vaccine coverage levels continue to vary by state, with 11 states in 2017 having MMR coverage levels of less than 90%. 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.

In the 2022-2023 school year, Nevada’s overall vaccination coverage for the MMR vaccine among children in kindergarten was 92.8%. Within the 2023-2024 school year, Nevada’s vaccination coverage dropped 0.9% to 91.9%.

Yes. In 2000, the United States declared that measles was eliminated from this country. The United States eliminated measles because it has a highly effective measles vaccine, a strong vaccination program that achieves high vaccine coverage in children, and a strong public health system for detecting and responding to measles cases and outbreaks.

CDC defines measles elimination as the absence of continuous disease transmission for 12 months or more in a specific geographic area. Measles is no longer endemic (constantly present) in the United States.

Every year, unvaccinated travelers (Americans or foreign visitors) get measles while they are in other countries and bring it into the United States. Typically, 2 out of 3 of these unvaccinated travelers are Americans. 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 country are uncommon compared to the number of cases before a vaccine was available. Since 2000, when public health officials declared measles eliminated from the United States, the annual number of people reported to have measles ranged from a low of 37 people in 2004 to a high of 1,282 in 2019.

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:

• Don’t get vaccinated on time.
• Think they’re immune when they’re not; and can’t find documentation of their vaccine status (this is most common among adults).
• Delay or refuse vaccines for religious, philosophical or personal reasons.

Research shows that there is clustering of people who delay or refuse vaccines in certain communities. When measles gets into communities with pockets of unvaccinated people, outbreaks are more likely to occur. Having more outbreaks makes us vulnerable to having the virus re-establish itself in our country.

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

Resources in Nevada:

The Office of State Epidemiology

Southern Nevada Health District – Measles

National Resources:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Measles

Be Ready for Measles Toolkit | CDC

Do You Think Your Child Has Measles | CDC

Measles Treatment Overview | Information for Healthcare Providers

Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response – Measles

American Red Cross – Measles and Rubella

Texas Health and Human Services – Measles FAQ

NACCHO – Current Status of Measles in the US

American Academy of Pediatrics – Measles