March 03, 2025
Jay Janner/American-Statesman; USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Measles is a 'vaccine preventable disease' and people who are vaccinated against it do not need to panic about the recent outbreaks, a CHOP doctor said. Above, a photo of the measles vaccine.
Following the confirmation of a measles case in a Montgomery County child, as well as an outbreak in Texas with nearly 150 reported cases, a Philly-area doctor says there's no need to panic — as long as you've taken the preventative steps to protect against the highly contagious virus.
"It's definitely something for us to be paying attention to, and certainly if you haven't been vaccinated for measles, it's something to get done right away because measles is a vaccine preventable disease," Katie Lockwood, a pediatrician at CHOP Primary Care in Flourtown, said Monday. "For those who are already vaccinated, I think that there are many other things out there, like flu, that you're much more likely to get. ... I don't think most kids need to worry about getting measles right now in Philadelphia, but if you are unvaccinated, this is a great time to go out and get your measles vaccine so that you can be prepared."
RELATED: Measles case confirmed in Montgomery County
So far in 2025, three outbreaks (meaning three or more related cases) have been reported in the United States, the CDC said. On Sunday, an unvaccinated child in Montgomery County was confirmed to have the virus. Three people in Bergen County, New Jersey, were reported to be infected with measles last month. Also last month, a child died in the measles outbreak in Texas, marking the first U.S. measles death in a decade.
Measles is typically thought of as a rash and fever that can clear up in a few days, but it can cause serious health complications, especially in children younger than 5 years old, adults older than 20, pregnant women or people with weakened immune systems. The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is the best way to protect against measles, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
One dose of the MMR vaccine is about 93% effective and two doses are about 97% effective, according to the CDC. Anyone born before 1957 is also generally considered immune to the virus. If an adult isn't sure whether they received two doses of the MMR vaccine as a child, Lockwood recommends double-checking with their parents or accessing immunization records that could be available through their school or employment records.
"If you aren't sure, or if you only had one dose, you may need to get a second dose," Lockwood said. "So you'll want to talk to your health care provider if you're either unsure about your vaccine status, or if you think you only had one dose previously. If you're unsure, there's no harm getting another dose of the vaccine to get a booster, but (if you had) two doses, then you should be OK. There's no reason to worry about getting an additional vaccine after two doses."
What about infants and young children who have not yet received both doses? The first dose of MMR is typically given at 12-15 months old, and the second is usually given at 4-6 years old. Lockwood said there are steps that can be taken to protect babies who haven't yet been vaccinated.
"It's sort of like other infectious diseases and what you do routinely in the winter time, which is staying home if you're sick, keeping your kids home and adults staying home just so we don't spread our germs with other people," Lockwood said. "If you have a child who can't be vaccinated for some reason, you should avoid large crowds or places where people might be sick, unless you need to go there. And then good hygiene, try to wash your hands a lot and sanitize surfaces for your young infant. ... Just try to keep those areas clean so that whatever they're touching and then putting their mouth on doesn't have germs on it."
Measles was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000, but it is still common in many parts of the world. Each year, the virus is brought into the United States by unvaccinated travelers, including Americans, who get measles while they are in other countries, the CDC said.
An infant between the ages of 6 to 11 months old can receive a dose of the vaccine early if they're planning to travel internationally or to an area with an outbreak, like Texas. While the pre-travel dose can protect an infant from getting the virus and bringing it home, the child should still receive the two regularly scheduled two doses later, Lockwood said.
"If you did travel to an area where there are cases of measles or if you've traveled internationally and come home and your child does have a fever, rash or conjunctivitis, it's a good idea to stay home," she added.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health told NBC10 last week that 94% of all state residents are vaccinated against the measles virus. But Lockwood noted that vaccination rates have been sliding, particularly when it comes to MMR.
"Over the past few years, vaccine rates have declined a little," she said. "And so we are worried about the fact that it leaves everyone more vulnerable to measles, which is why it's so important that people recognize that even one preventable death is too many, and that we have a vaccine that is safe and effective. And so we really encourage anyone who is able to get the vaccine to get this vaccine so we can prevent measles in our community."
Measles typically begins with a fever that lasts for several days, followed by coughing, a runny nose and watery eyes. Two to three days after symptoms start, tiny white spots may appear in the mouth. Three to five days after symptoms begin, a flat, red spotted rash appears on the face at the hairline and spreads downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. There may also be small, raised bumps. Symptoms usually appear between 7-14 days after exposure to the virus, but can take as long as 21 days to begin.
The variety of measles symptoms, and the delayed onset of some of the more severe or recognizable ones, can lead people to confuse it for other sicknesses, Lockwood said.
"Measles has a few different symptoms, and it can be tricky because of that, because it can look like other common childhood illnesses," she said. "The tricky part about the rash is that the rash often starts a little bit later in illness, and so by the time you have the rash, you're already contagious, and so the initial part of the illness, you have these more, sometimes mild symptoms at the start, and then the rash is coming later."
The measles virus is considered extremely contagious. Since measles lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person, it can be transmitted from person to person through coughing and sneezing.
It can remain in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours after an infected person leaves the area. If someone breathes in the contaminated air or touches an infected surface then touches their eyes, nose or mouth, they can become infected. Measles can be spread to others starting four days before through four days after the rash appears, according to the CDC.
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