April 3, 2025 | Most adults in the United States over the age of 40 can remember what it’s like to have the measles, particularly the total-body skin rash. But thanks to the measles vaccine, developed in the late 1960s, measles has been practically eliminated in this country since 2000 although there has been a resurgence of the disease in recent years due to the reluctance of some people to have their children vaccinated. In 1912, measles became a nationally notifiable disease in the United States, requiring U.S. health-care providers and laboratories to report all diagnosed cases. In the first decade of reporting, an average of 6,000 measles-related deaths were reported each year. Before the vaccine, nearly all children got measles by the time they were 15 years of age. It is estimated 3 to 4 million people in the United States were infected each year, with 400 to 500 cases proving fatal and 1,000 suffering from encephalitis, or swelling of the brain.

April 3, 2025 | To many adults, measles is nothing more than a bad memory, a minor inconvenience they dealt with as a young child. Unfortunately, it is one of the leading causes of death among young children globally despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine. In 1980, before widespread vaccination began to take place, measles caused an estimated 2.6 million deaths each year. In February, the first death due to measles in a decade was reported in Texas after an unvaccinated child died after being hospitalized in Lubbock. The U.S. last reported a measles-related death in 2015 after 12 years without a fatality linked to the disease. Most measles-related deaths are caused by complications associated with the disease, the most serious being encephalitis, severe diarrhea and dehydration or severe respiratory infections such as pneumonia. The good news is that people who recover from measles are immune for the rest of their lives.

April 3, 2025 | Measles is a highly contagious respiratory infection that’s caused by a virus. It causes a total-body skin rash and flu-like symptoms, including a fever, cough and runny nose. The virus that causes measles lives in the mucus in the nose and throat of an infected child or adult. That child or adult is contagious from four days before the rash appears to four days after. 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. People who have not been vaccinated for measles, who travel to developing countries or don’t have enough vitamin A in their diets are more likely to contract measles and to suffer from more severe symptoms.

April 3, 2025 | There is no treatment that can eliminate an established measles infection but there are certain measures that can be taken to protect someone that has been exposed to the virus. Non-immunized people, including infants, may be given the measles vaccination within 72 hours of exposure to provide protection against the disease. If measles still develops, the illness usually has milder symptoms and lasts for a shorter time. Pregnant women, infants and people with weakened immune systems who are exposed to the virus may receive an injection of antibodies called immune serum globulin. When given within six days of exposure to the virus, these antibodies can prevent measles or make the symptoms less severe. Over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen may help relieve the fever that accompanies measles. If a bacterial infection like pneumonia develops while the patient has measles, an antibiotic may be prescribed.

April 3, 2025 | Before the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1963, major epidemics occurred around the world every two to three years and caused an estimated 2.6 million deaths each year. That doesn’t mean measles could never pose a problem in the U.S. If people forget to get vaccinated on time or if they refuse to be vaccinated due to religious or philosophical reasons, measles could prove to be a serious health concern. Research has shown 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.