THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS OFFERS THIS INFORMATION ABOUT MEASLES PREVENTION IN Q-AND-A FORMAT ON ITS WEBSITE , HEALTHYCHILDREN . ORG .

WHEN DO CHILDREN NEED TO GET THE MEASLES VACCINE ? The American Academy of Pediatrics , the Centers for Disease Control , and Prevention and the American Academy of Family Physicians recommend children receive the measles , mumps and rubella ( MMR ) vaccine at age 12-15 months and again at 4-6 years . Children can receive the second dose earlier if it is at least 28 days after the first dose .

There is a combination vaccine called MMRV that contains both the chickenpox and MMR vaccines . MMRV is an option for some children ages 12 months through 12 years .

IS THE MEASLES VACCINE SAFE ?

Yes . Occasional side effects of the measles vaccine include fever , tenderness at the injection site and rash . Rare side effects include a temporary decrease in blood platelets . The measles vaccine does not cause autism . Getting the measles vaccine is much safer than getting the measles infection .

HOW DOES MEASLES SPREAD ? Measles spreads from person-to-person and through the air from respiratory droplets from a cough or sneeze . The virus can live for two hours on surfaces or suspended in the air . Someone who enters a room where someone with measles had been earlier can catch the disease . The virus can also travel along air currents and infect people in another room .

Even brief exposure to the virus poses a high risk of infection to anyone who is not up-to-date on their measles vaccine or has not had measles before . People with conditions that weaken the immune system are also at high risk of infection .

HOW LONG IS SOMEONE WITH MEASLES CONTAGIOUS ?

People with measles are contagious before they know they are sick . An infected person can spread measles easily to others four days before the rash appears , and they are still contagious four days after the rash appears .

OURHEALTHNWA . COM 8 APRIL 2025 | HEALTHY KIDS ISSUE