Measles outbreak 2019: Your questions about vaccinations and the outbreak answered

What’s the latest today on the outbreak in the U.S. and our region? 

There have been 704 confirmed cases of measles in 22 states so far this year, the highest number in 25 years, the federal Centers for Disease Control said today. That includes 202 cases in Rockland County, New York, 423 in New York City and 14 in New Jersey. An outbreak in Washington State, where 72 people were sickened, is over.  

The vast majority of cases have been reported in unvaccinated people and children under age 18. Nine percent of those who contracted measles this year were hospitalized, CDC Director Robert Redfield said, and 3 percent developed pneumonia. No deaths have been reported. 

Forty-four of the cases were “imported” by people who contracted the virus in another country where measles is spreading, such as Israel, Ukraine or the Philippines. More than 90 percent of those travelers were unvaccinated or did not know their vaccine status.  

Can you get measles if you are vaccinated?  

Among the 704 reported cases this year, some have been people who are fully or partially vaccinated, said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s national center for immunization and respiratory disease. “In a setting where there is extreme disease pressure, we know there can be vaccine failure,” she said.

Two doses of measles vaccine are about 97 percent effective, and one dose is about 93 percent effective, according to the CDC. 

Adults in high-risk settings, such as those traveling internationally, working in health care, or living in communities with ongoing outbreaks, should check their vaccine status or consult with a health care professional, Messonnier said.

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Should I get another measles vaccine?  

Most adults — including people who received a single dose or were born before the measles vaccine was recommended  — are protected, Messonnier said.   

CDC efforts are focused on those at higher risk: international travelers, health care workers, university students and people in communities where outbreaks are underway, she said. Those adults should have had two shots, separated by at least 28 days.  

“Other adults should be reassured that the data really strongly, strongly supports they are protected against measles,” she said.

If you are unsure whether you've been vaccinated, check with your doctor. A blood test to check for measles antibodies can be done. There is no harm in getting another dose of the vaccine if you are already immune to measles, mumps and rubella. 

How long does the measles vaccine last?  

“We don’t see any signs of waning immunity yet,” Messonier said, adding that the agency is monitoring the vaccine’s durability as well as its safety and effectiveness. If you have had two measles shots, you are protected for a lifetime.  

Who should be vaccinated?  

Infants should get their first dose of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine between 6 and 11 months of age if they are going to travel internationally, said Redfield, the CDC director. Children who are not traveling should get two doses, starting at 12 months of age and separated by at least 28 days. The second dose is usually given between 4 and 6 years of age, and the CDC is not currently recommending that it be done earlier.

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Adolescents and adults who have not had measles should have two doses, separated by at least 28 days.  

People traveling internationally should complete the vaccine schedule at least two weeks before departure. But if the departure is sooner, they should still get at least one dose of the vaccine, Redfield said.  

When will the outbreak be over?  

It’s going to get worse before it gets better. Cases are rising fastest in New York and California, Messonnier said, and once the disease gains a foothold in an under-vaccinated community it is difficult to eradicate.  

“What it’s going to take is everybody working together to identify people at risk who are unvaccinated and get them vaccinated,” she said. It's also important for public health officials and rabbinical organizations to make sure scientifically accurate information about vaccines is disseminated so people make the right decisions, she said.  

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