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Measles patients are increasing all over the country.
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Doctors share what to do if you come into contact with the virus.
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Also, what infectious disease doctors want you to know about the disease.
Public health officials in New Jersey, Massachusetts and Colorado recently sent out warnings of measles-infected travelers passing through busy airports and other areas. Couple that with the rapid spread of measles, and it’s understandable to worry about the disease.
“Measles is extraordinarily contagious—if you’re susceptible,” says Thomas Russo, MD, professor and professor of infectious diseases at the University of Buffalo in New York.
Each year, a small number of measles cases pop up in select areas across the country. But the past 12 months have been different. According to data shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 2100 people in 44 states were affected by measles in 2025. This is the highest number in 25 years. Unfortunately, cases continue to surface.
Meet with the experts: John Sellick, DO, an infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the State University of New York at Buffalo; Amesh A. Adalja, MD, infectious disease specialist and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security; Thomas Russo, MD, professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University of Buffalo in New York.
As these warnings about exposure keep coming, it makes sense to think about what it means for you. Here, infectious disease doctors break down some of the most important questions people ask about measles, as well as what to do if you’re exposed.
Why is measles so contagious?
While outbreaks occur across the country every year, most people are not very familiar with measles. Also known as rubella, measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus, according to the CDC. It can cause symptoms such as cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, high fever and rashes inside the mouth.
But measles can also cause serious health complications, including pneumonia and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), according to the CDC.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), measles is considered the most contagious disease in the world. The virus can remain active and infectious for up to two hours in the air or on infected surfaces. The WHO also notes that one person infected with measles can infect up to 18 other people.
The virus is spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes, Dr. Russo explains. From there, people breathe in infectious particles or touch surfaces that those particles land on and then touch their eyes, nose or mouth, which can lead to infection.
Measles has a long contagious period — infected people can spread the virus to others between four days before the measles rash appears and four days after it appears, according to the WHO.
How can I avoid getting measles?
There is a vaccine to prevent measles, called the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. It is part of the childhood vaccination series and is given in two doses. One dose is 93% effective in preventing measles, while two doses are 97% effective, according to the CDC. (Despite recent changes to the CDC’s childhood immunization schedule, the MMR vaccine is still recommended for all children.)
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the first dose is usually given between 12 and 15 months of age, and the second dose is given between four and six years of age, or when children start school. It’s still possible to get the MMR vaccine as an adult or beyond that age range, but according to the AAP, doses need to be spread out over 28 days.
The MMR vaccine is a live attenuated vaccine, meaning it contains a weakened form of the measles virus, says John Sellick, DO, an infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the State University of New York at Buffalo. This trains the immune system to respond if you are exposed to measles on the street.
“The vaccine isn’t perfect, but it’s really good,” says Dr. Russo.
(Just be aware that people born between 1963 and 1967 received a childhood measles vaccine that is not considered effective, according to the CDC. If this describes you, the CDC recommends getting vaccinated again.)
Finally, if you are fully vaccinated you may get measles, but this is unlikely. (Again, the vaccine is 97% effective, so three out of 100 people can get vaccinated.) “There were some people who got the shot in the most recent measles outbreak and got infected,” says Dr. Russo. “But if you have some protection, you’re also less likely to get serious disease.”
What to do if you have been exposed to measles
If you find that you’ve crossed paths with someone who has measles, don’t panic. If you were born before 1957, doctors consider you to have “probable immunity,” which means you were exposed to the virus as a child and therefore should be immune to it, Dr. Russo says. “If you have presumed immunity or you’ve been vaccinated, you don’t have to worry about the risk of measles,” he says.
Amesh A. Adalja, MD, an infectious disease specialist and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, agrees. He says, ‘No action will be taken.
If you were born after 1957 and are not vaccinated or partially vaccinated, you still have options. Although there’s no cure for measles, you can get vaccinated after exposure or get an injection of antibodies called immune serum globulin to help protect against serious illness, Dr. Adalja says. (Immune serum globulin treatment is the only option for pregnant women, infants and immunocompromised people because the vaccine is a live virus and is not recommended for those groups, Dr. Russo explains.)
But if you know you’ve been exposed and aren’t sure if you have immunity, “the safest thing is to get vaccinated,” says Dr. Russo. Dr. Sellick agrees. “It’s safe to get another dose, even if you’re fully vaccinated or already immune to the virus,” he says.
What to do if you get measles
If you develop symptoms of measles, call your doctor (don’t go to the office – you risk exposing others). Again, there is no cure for measles, but your doctor may recommend immune serum globulin and supportive care, such as acetaminophen for fever and plenty of fluids, as well as monitoring yourself for serious complications of the virus. Ultimately, it is best to contact a healthcare provider. They can provide next steps from there.
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