Pediatric experts are calling for a renewed focus on measles vaccination as the U.S. measles outbreak resumes. Although measles has been declared a non-endemic epidemic, it still poses a serious risk, especially to young children, and can lead to complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis, and even fatal brain diseases such as SSPE. In 2024, 40% of measles cases in the United States will require hospitalization. Experts emphasize that the MMR vaccine is safe and reliable and is the most effective way to prevent this highly contagious disease.
As the highly contagious virus spreads again in the United States, pediatric infectious disease experts stress the importance of getting vaccinated against measles. In an article published in the journal Pediatrics, they provide pediatricians with updated guidance on how to identify, prevent and manage this vaccine-preventable disease. Parents are advised to contact their pediatrician if their child has been exposed to measles or develops symptoms.
Measles, caused by the measles virus, is one of the most contagious infectious diseases known, capable of spreading to 90% of unvaccinated people who have been exposed to an infected person. Measles is spread through respiratory droplets and can remain viable in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves the area.
"The most effective way to prevent measles is vaccination," said the study's lead author Caitlin Naureckas Li, MD, MS, an infectious disease specialist at the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and an assistant professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "Parents who are concerned that their child has been exposed to measles or may be infected with measles should contact their child's doctor. Parents should not attempt to treat measles on their own without medical advice."
Measles carries a risk of serious complications that may require hospitalization. Dr. Li and colleagues pointed out that in 2024, 40% of confirmed measles patients in the United States were hospitalized, with 52% of children under 5 years old and 25% of children aged 5 to 19 years old being hospitalized.
The authors also highlight that measles mortality in the United States is estimated to be 1-3 deaths per 1,000 infections. Children under 5 years old are at higher risk of death.
One of the most common complications of measles is pneumonia, with more than 50% of measles cases involving the lungs. Measles can also affect the brain. Encephalitis — a disease that can be fatal or cause long-term brain damage in survivors — occurs in about 1 in 1,000 cases. SSPE, an almost universally fatal brain disease that develops years after being infected with measles, is another potential complication that occurs in 1 in 100,000 cases, with children under 1 year of age at higher risk.
"MMR vaccination is safe," Dr. Li emphasized. "This vaccine is the best way for families to protect their children from potentially life-threatening complications."
Compiled from /ScitechDaily
DOI:10.1542/peds.2025-071332