Measles

Measles is a serious disease that can cause brain damage and death. Measles is caused by a virus and spreads easily. It can live for up to 2 hours in the air, which is why it used to be common in the United States. A cough or a sneeze could spread the virus.source: ¹

In the 1960s, the United States started to use vaccines to prevent measles.source: ² Thanks to most kids getting the vaccines, measles is now a rare occurrence in this country. If enough people get the vaccine to protect against measles in a community, then the disease cannot spread quickly and cause an outbreak or an infection in your child.source: ³

There are two vaccines that can prevent measles.source: ⁴ (1) The MMR vaccine protects kids and adults from measles, mumps, and rubella. (2) The MMRV vaccine protects kids 12 months to 12 years old from measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox.

Measles is very easy to catch. In fact, measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world.source: ⁵ If 1 person has it, then 9 out of 10 people close to that person will also get measles if they aren't protected.source: ⁶

Most children don't have side effects. Any side effects are usually mild and go away in a few days. They may include fever, a mild rash, and swollen glands in the cheeks or neck.source: ⁸ Rare side effects can include seizures (sudden, unusual movements or behavior) from having a high fever (about 1 in 3,000–4,000 children who receive the MMR vaccine).source: ⁸ Seizures related to high fevers (called “febrile seizures”) can be scary but are usually harmless. Brief (short-term) low platelet count (about 1 out of every 30,000–40,000 children) may also occur.source: ^8,source: ¹¹