Parents are encouraged to contact their pediatrician if their child has been exposed to measles or is showing symptoms.
Pediatric infectious disease experts are emphasizing the critical importance of measles vaccination, as the highly contagious virus is once again spreading across the United States. In an article published in Pediatrics, they provide updated guidance for pediatricians on how to recognize, prevent, and manage this vaccine-preventable disease.
Measles, caused by the measles virus, is one of the most contagious infectious diseases known, capable of spreading to 90% of unvaccinated individuals exposed to an infected person. It is transmitted through respiratory droplets and can remain airborne for up to two hours after an infected person has left the area.
"The most effective way to prevent measles is vaccination," said lead author Caitlin Naureckas Li, MD MHQS, infectious diseases specialist at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "If parents are concerned that their child was exposed to measles or may have measles, they should call their child's doctor. They should not attempt to treat measles on their own without a physician's advice."
Hospitalization and Complications from Measles
Measles carries the risk of serious complications that may require hospitalization. Dr. Li and colleagues point out that in 2024 in the U.S., 40 percent of people with confirmed measles were hospitalized, including 52 percent of children under 5 years and 25 percent of those 5-19 years.
The authors also highlight that in the U.S., the measles mortality rate is estimated to be one-three deaths per 1,000 infections. The risk of death is higher in those under 5 years of age.
Severe and Long-Term Health Risks
One of the more common complications of measles is pneumonia, with the lungs involved in over 50 percent of measles cases. Measles also can impact the brain. Encephalitis – an illness that can be fatal or lead to long-term brain damage in survivors – occurs in about one out of every 1,000 cases. SSPE, a near-universally deadly brain disorder that occurs years after measles infection, is another potential complication that strikes one in 100,000 cases, with higher risk in children under 1 year of age.
"MMR vaccination is safe," emphasized Dr. Li. "This vaccine is the best way for families to protect their children from potentially life-threatening complications."
Reference: "What's Old Is New Again: Measles" by Caitlin Naureckas Li, Sheldon L. Kaplan, Kathryn M. Edwards, Gary S. Marshall, Sarah Parker and C. Mary Healy, 11 April 2025, Pediatrics.
DOI: 10.1542/peds.2025-071332
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