Measles for Beginners: Where to Start

A highly contagious viral illness that causes high fever, cough, runny nose, red watery eyes and a spreading rash.

Key takeaways

• MMR vaccine doses: 2 doses: at 12 to 15 months and at 4 to 6 years
• Protection: about 97% after 2 doses and 93% after 1 dose
• Most useful single change: Check your family's vaccination records; adults born in 1957 or later without evidence of immunity need at least 1 dose.
• Commonest mistake: Walking into a clinic or ER unannounced with a fever and rash; call ahead so staff can protect other patients.
• See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.

Why bother

Measles can lead to pneumonia, brain swelling and death, especially in young children, and outbreaks in the US are linked to pockets of people who are not vaccinated.

Start here

Just these two to begin with. The rest can wait.

• Check your family's vaccination records; adults born in 1957 or later without evidence of immunity need at least 1 dose
• Ask your doctor about MMR before any international travel

Then add these

Once the basics are in place, add these.

• If you were exposed and are not immune, call your doctor quickly; a vaccine within 72 hours or immune globulin within 6 days can help
• Stay home and away from others, including school and work, until your health department says you can return

The numbers, in one place

Common early mistakes

• Walking into a clinic or ER unannounced with a fever and rash; call ahead so staff can protect other patients
• Assuming vitamin A or other supplements replace vaccination
• Delaying a child's scheduled MMR doses

Related topics

• Childhood Vaccinations: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise (Children's Health)
• The Evidence on How Vaccines Work, Without the Hype (Vaccinations)
• Vaccination: What the Evidence Actually Says (Immunity)
• The Evidence on Pneumonia, Without the Hype (Respiratory Health)

Where to go next

• Measles: Common Myths and What Guidelines Say
• Answers to the Common Questions on Measles
• Measles — the reference entry
• Infectious Diseases: The Complete Guide
• Lyme Disease and Ticks: What Published Guidance Supports
• The Evidence on West Nile Virus and Mosquitoes, Without the Hype

When to speak to a doctor

Call your doctor right away, before visiting, if you or your child has a fever with a rash or has been exposed to measles. Call 911 for trouble breathing, a seizure, severe drowsiness or confusion, or a baby who is limp or not feeding.

Where this comes from

• CDC — About Measles
• CDC — Measles Vaccination

How this page was put together

Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.

Medical disclaimer

This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.