Measles Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions

All children, adolescents, and adults born in 1957 or later should have documentation of vaccination or other evidence of immunity, such as a blood test or a documented history of measles infection. For recommendations based on your age, health status, or risk of measles, talk to your doctor. Information is also available on the CDC website for recommended vaccines.

Measles Outbreak Vaccine Recommendations Infographic

The measles vaccine is very effective; it protects about 93% of after just one dose. However, because approximately 7% of people are not protected after one dose, it is recommended that a second dose be given to make sure people are well protected against measles.

For children, the second dose of the measles vaccine is typically given around 4-6 years of age. However, the second dose can be given as early as 28 days (four weeks) after the first dose.

There are two combination vaccines available in the U.S. that protect against measles:

• The MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine
• The MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella [chickenpox]) vaccine

They are both live attenuated vaccines, which means they contain weakened strains of the viruses they protect against. The MMR vaccine is approved for anyone 6 months of age and older. The MMRV vaccine is approved only in children ages 12 months to 12 years.

A small group of people may have a low-grade fever or mild rash seven to 12 days after they receive the measles vaccine. They are not contagious and no exclusions from work or school are necessary. However, if someone was vaccinated after a recent exposure to someone with measles, they should consult with their doctor, as their symptoms could be related to a measles infection related to that exposure.

The measles vaccine is given either by injection either intramuscularly (IM), or subcutaneously, into the fatty layer of tissue just under the skin.

• Anyone who has had a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction after a previous dose of MMR or to any vaccine component should not receive the vaccine.
• People who are severely immunocompromised, for example:
  • People on chemotherapy
  • People on immunosuppressive therapy
  • People on high dose steroids
  • Those with health conditions like leukemia or AIDS
• Women who are pregnant, or planning to become pregnant within the next month should not be vaccinated until after delivery. Women who are breastfeeding can be vaccinated.
• If you have any questions on whether or not you should be vaccinated based on your health status or if you had a reaction to a previous dose of vaccine, talk to your doctor.

In the past it was believed that people who were allergic to eggs would be at risk of an allergic reaction from the vaccine because the vaccine is grown in tissue from chick embryos. However, recent studies have shown that this is not the case. MMR may be given to egg-allergic individuals without prior testing or use of special precautions.

If you were born before 1957, you most likely had the disease as a small child and are protected against getting infected again. If you were born in 1957 or later, and don’t have your shot record, visit your primary care physician. Your doctor can perform a simple blood test to test to see whether or not you are protected against measles. Your doctor may also recommend that you receive the measles shot.

People born before 1957 lived through several years of epidemic measles before the first vaccine was available. As a result, these people are very likely to have had the measles disease. Thus, 95–98% of those born before 1957 are immune to measles.

Not necessarily. People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s do not need to be revaccinated. People who were vaccinated prior to 1968 with an inactivated (killed) measles vaccine, or vaccine of unknown type, should be revaccinated with at least one dose of the MMR vaccine. If you are unsure about your vaccine history, your doctor can help determine if you need additional vaccination against measles.

There is a vaccine program in Texas for adults without health insurance. Find ASN locations by county through the DSHS Adult Safety.

Yes. Measles vaccine contains weakened viruses and are not passed from the vaccinated person to other household members.

There is no scientific evidence that any vaccine, including MMR, causes autism. View information on Autism and Vaccines from the CDC.

The first measles vaccines were available in 1963 and were replaced with a more effective vaccine in 1968. The combination measles vaccines in use today first became available in 1971 (MMR) and 2005 (MMRV). There are two combination vaccines available in the U.S. that protect against measles: the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine and the MMRV vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (chickenpox). They are both live attenuated, or weakened, vaccines, which means they contain weakened strains of the viruses they protect against. The MMR vaccine is approved for anyone 6 months of age and older. The MMRV vaccine is approved only in children ages 12 months to 12 years.