More on Measles
What You Need to Know About Measles
With the report of measles in our Borderplex, there are plenty of questions from families in our community on how to prevent it from getting into their household. To help, Texas Tech Health El Paso faculty experts have developed a fact sheet that covers information about measles as well as vaccines.
What makes the measles virus so contagious?
Measles is an airborne virus that spreads rapidly through the air when an infected adult or child coughs, sneezes or even talks. The contaminants can remain airborne for up to two hours.
On average, a child or an adult with measles can pass it on to between 12 to 18 people who are not vaccinated and/or lack immunity.
What makes the measles vaccine so effective, given its high success rate?
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
Two doses of the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine are recommended by doctors to protect against all three diseases.
Children may get two doses of MMRV vaccine instead, which also includes varicella (commonly known as chickenpox).
MMR and MMRV vaccines usually provide lifelong protection against measles and rubella; however, immunity to mumps may decrease over time.
Do you need to get a second measles vaccine?
According to the CDC, you do not need to be vaccinated if you meet the following criteria:
Documentation of adequate vaccination: two doses are 97% effective against the virus.
Laboratory confirmation of past measles infection or blood tests showing immunity to measles.
Most people born after 1957 might need to be vaccinated again if they received a measles vaccine in the mid-1960s.
As the CDC explains:
People with documentation of receiving live measles vaccine in the 1960s do not need to be revaccinated.
People vaccinated prior to 1968 with either inactivated (killed) measles vaccine or measles vaccine of unknown type should be revaccinated with at least one dose of the live attenuated measles vaccine. This recommendation is intended to protect those who may have received the killed measles vaccine, which was available from 1963 to 1967 and was not effective.
Can you still get measles if you are vaccinated?
The measles vaccination is effective long-term, according to the CDC.
One dose of the MMR vaccine is 93% effective against the virus.
Two doses increase protection to 97%. While it's still possible for a vaccinated person to contract the virus, symptoms are usually mild.
To get the MMR vaccine for yourself or your child, contact your doctor's office or a local pharmacy. To make an appointment with Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso, visit ttpelpaso.com.
About Texas Tech Health El Paso
Texas Tech Health El Paso is the only health sciences center on the U.S.-Mexico border and serves 108 counties in West Texas that have been historically underserved. It’s a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution, preparing the next generation of health care heroes, 48% of whom identify as Hispanic and are often first-generation students.
Established as an independent university in 2013, Texas Tech Health El Paso is a uniquely innovative destination for health care education and research.
With a mission of eliminating health care barriers and creating life-changing educational opportunities for Borderplex residents, Texas Tech Health El Paso has graduated over 2,400 doctors, nurses and researchers over the past decade, and will add dentists to its alumni beginning in 2025. For more information, visit [ttuhscepimpact.org]ttuhscepimpact.org.