Once declared eliminated from the United States in 2000, measles is in the news once more as cases of the contagious disease are on the rise in our country and state. As cases of the measles come closer to home, people have growing concerns about what steps they should take to protect themselves and their families.
The best way to protect yourself and others from getting the measles is to be fully vaccinated. With only a few exceptions of those who should not be vaccinated (listed within this webpage), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that 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.”
Measles, also known as rubeola (not to be confused with rubella), is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus that spreads through respiratory droplets. Anytime an infected individual sneezes, coughs or rubs their nose and touches another item or object, the virus has the potential to spread to another person who touches the contaminated surface. This is one of the reasons that measles spreads so rapidly in environments with young children, such as day cares and schools.
Further complicating things, a person who has contracted measles does not begin to show symptoms until eight to 12 days after contracting the virus. This means that a pre-symptomatic individual could expose others to the disease without knowing it.
The first symptoms that show up with a measles infection are the same as what you’d see with a cold or flu: cough, runny nose, eye drainage and a fever. However, the fever caused by the measles tends to be higher than what you’d expect with a common cold.
Shortly after symptoms begin, the hallmark sign of the measles disease appears: small white dots on the inside of your cheek. If you pull out your cheek and see these little white dots, which are known as Koplik spots, lining the interior of your cheek, they are a good indicator that you’ve contracted measles.
Koplik spots last from three to five days. After which, infected individuals develop a maculopapular rash, (a rash with flat red spots with some areas a little raised, on your skin). This rash typically starts on the head or hairline and then develops into a full body rash, traveling all the way down to your toes. Four days prior to the rash developing and four days after it is gone, an infected individual is considered to be the most contagious.
While some of the earlier symptoms of measles are typical of the common cold, you should contact your primary care provider if any of the following apply:
It’s best to reach out directly to your provider over the phone to get specific instructions on how they want to see you. Measles is a very contagious disease and to reduce the potential risk of infecting others, consider scheduling a virtual visit with a primary care or urgent care provider. To connect with a Memorial Hermann provider virtually, click here.
Unfortunately, there is no specific cure for measles once you contract it. Treatment plan recommendations are to treat the symptoms with over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or ibuprofen (Motrin®, Advil®, etc.) to reduce fever. Additionally, it is recommended to drink plenty of fluids and get a lot of rest.
If your child has a severe case of measles, they may need to be admitted to the hospital to get large doses of vitamin A. If they also have a bacterial infection, such as pneumonia or an ear infection, they will be given antibiotics. However, vitamin A does not prevent measles and should not be given for prevention or treatment purposes without consulting a provider.
Although the fever and rash of measles are uncomfortable, the real danger of the disease lies in the rare severe complications it presents to its host:
While providers can treat the cough and fever, the respiratory and encephalitis complications can be a cause of major concern. Your provider will be able to assist you in seeking additional medical care if you have trouble breathing or experience excessive fever, headache, seizures, confusion, difficulty speaking/swallowing, or changes in your behavior.
While this disease is highly contagious, there is one effective way to prevent contraction of the virus: vaccination. Since the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine began being administered in the 1960s, the occurrence of measles virus has largely declined in the United States.
The MMR vaccine is known to be very safe. It is a live attenuated vaccine—a vaccine that has a small amount of living virus as a component of the vaccine. The goal is that when you receive the vaccine, your immune system starts creating antibodies that can attack the virus if encountered later in life. This vaccine is given in two stages, typically in childhood:
Notably, some are concerned about whether the vaccine can cause autism. However, there has been no notable link between the MMR vaccine and autism, with an extensive study in the late 1990s proving there was no causal association between the two. Individuals should not be concerned about the MMR vaccine triggering autism in their children.
However, the vaccine is not recommended for:
Side effects of the MMR vaccine are far and few between and are often mild, cold-like symptoms and fever. Vaccination is truly the No. 1 way to prevent the spread of measles.
Given the highly contagious nature of the virus, consider scheduling a virtual visit with a primary care or urgent care provider for evaluation and next steps. To connect with a Memorial Hermann provider virtually, click here.
To locate your nearest Memorial Hermann primary care physician, click here.
To locate your nearest Memorial Hermann-GoHealth Urgent Care, click here.
Measles, also known as rubeola, is an infection caused by a virus. It is very contagious and can spread easily from person to person.
Measles can be very serious for some people. It can lead to bacterial infection, such as an ear infection or pneumonia. Those at highest risk for serious illness are:
Measles is a virus that lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person. It can spread to others through coughing and sneezing. The measles virus can live for up to two hours in the air or on surfaces where the infected person coughed or sneezed. If other people breathe the contaminated air or touch the infected surface, then touch their eyes, noses or mouths, they can become infected.
The best way to prevent getting measles is to be fully vaccinated with the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine. Anyone who is not protected against measles is at risk of getting it. Children should have two doses of the MMR vaccine, with the first dose given between 12-15 months of age and the second dose between the ages of 4 to 6 years old.
The measles vaccine is very effective. One dose of measles vaccine is about 93% effective at preventing measles if exposed to the virus. Two doses are about 97% effective.
If you are unsure whether you have received the measles vaccine, please reach out to your medical provider.
No. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (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.
Adults who are going to be in a setting that poses a high risk for measles transmission should make sure they have had two doses separated by at least 28 days. These adults include students at post-high school education institutions, health care personnel and international travelers. If you have questions related to receiving a booster vaccine, please reach out to your medical provider.
Infants less than 6 months old, pregnant women and people who are immunocompromised should not get the measles vaccine.
Fully vaccinated people are 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. Additionally, if your family member has been fully vaccinated, their risk of getting the disease is low.
Clinical signs and symptoms paired with laboratory testing by your local health care provider are used to diagnose measles.
Symptoms of measles occur eight to 12 days after exposure. Often, the infected person does not know they have measles until they feel sick. Measles can be spread to other people four days before and up to four days after the rash appears.
Early symptoms for the first two to four days include:
Symptoms from day four on include:
Since measles is a virus, antibiotics will not work. Recommended treatment includes:
Note: Vitamin A does not prevent measles and should not be given for prevention or treatment purposes without consulting a provider.
Measles symptoms usually go away in about two weeks.
A person being tested for measles, or with suspected or confirmed measles should isolate at home and avoid contact with:
No. There is no link between MMR vaccine and autism.
If you have any of the signs or symptoms listed above, please get in touch with your provider.
To reduce the potential risk of infecting others, consider scheduling a virtual visit with a primary care or urgent care provider. To connect with a Memorial Hermann provider virtually, click here.
If you suspect or have confirmed measles, please call the provider office, urgent care or ER prior to arriving on site for next steps.
Given the highly contagious nature of the virus, consider scheduling a virtual visit with a primary care or urgent care provider for evaluation and next steps. To connect with a Memorial Hermann provider virtually, click here.
To locate your nearest Memorial Hermann primary care physician, click here.
To locate your nearest Memorial Hermann GoHealth Urgent Care Center, click here.