Can you get measles as an adult? What to know amid uptick in cases

(NEXSTAR) — Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned clinicians to remain alert for measles cases after nearly two dozen were confirmed in the U.S. between early December and mid-January.

Most of those 23 confirmed cases were among those who had not received a measles vaccine, and seven were direct importations by international travelers. Two outbreaks had more than five cases each, the CDC notice reads.

“The increased number of measles importations seen in recent weeks is reflective of a rise in global measles cases and a growing global threat from the disease,” the CDC continued.

States that have had confirmed measles cases since December include Delaware, Georgia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington. Over in the U.K., the situation is worse: more than 300 probable cases, 216 of which have been confirmed, have been detected since October, The Hill reports.

Both countries previously eliminated measles thanks to widespread vaccination against the disease: the U.S. in 2000 and the U.K. in 2021 (the country lost that distinction in 2018). However, cases and outbreaks can still occur.

So are you at risk of catching measles as an adult?

As we saw with COVID-19, there are essentially two ways to be considered “protected,” either through a vaccine or recovering from a case of the virus. More specifically, the CDC says you’re protected if at least one of the following is true: you’ve had two doses of a measles-containing vaccine, you’ve had one dose if you won’t be in a high-risk setting for measles transmission, you’ve already had measles, a laboratory has confirmed you’re immune or you were born before 1957.

Measles vaccines have been available since the 1960s, and states have largely required children to have them before attending school. That means there’s a good chance you’ve already been vaccinated against measles, and because those vaccines are more than 90% effective at preventing the disease — 97% if you got two doses of an MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine, 93% if you got one, according to the CDC — you are, most likely, safe from it.

If you’re unsure whether you’ve been vaccinated, you can speak with your healthcare provider or review your vaccination records.

What are the symptoms of measles?

Measles is well-known for causing a rash, but there are a number of other symptoms to be on the lookout for in case you’re exposed, or your child has been exposed.

Measles is highly contagious and spreads through the air and on surfaces. The virus can live for up to two hours in the air after an infected person has left an area.

According to the CDC, the first symptoms can appear within a week or two of infection. That includes a high fever that may spike to more than 104°F, a cough, a runny nose, and red, watery eyes. In the days after symptoms begin, you may notice tiny white spots appear inside your mouth. These are known as Koplik spots.

Three to five days after symptoms begin, the CDC says a rash breaks out. This usually looks like flat, red spots on the face that spread down to the neck, arms, legs, trunk, and feet.

If you believe you or your child has contracted measles, you should contact a healthcare provider immediately.

“Measles can be dangerous to young kids,” Dr. Jim Adams, Chief Medical Officer of Northwestern Medicine, told Nexstar’s WGN Radio last week. “It’s miserable for everybody, it’s really preventable, and it’s hyper infectious.”

Some children with measles suffer from encephalitis, or a swelling of the brain, that can cause deafness or an intellectual disability.

As many as 1 in 20 children who contract measles develops pneumonia, the most common cause of death from the disease, according to the CDC. Out of 1,000 children who get measles, nearly one to three on average will die from respiratory or neurologic complications.

Unvaccinated pregnant women who get measles are also at risk of giving birth prematurely.

Are we in a measles outbreak?

While the CDC has warned about an increase in measles cases in the U.S. recently, they haven’t yet called it an outbreak. The agency says outbreaks are declared “when the number of cases reported in an area is higher than the expected number of cases.”

The last reported measles outbreak in the U.S. was in 2019 when 1,274 cases were confirmed in 31 states, the most since 1992. According to the CDC, the majority of those cases were among people who had not been vaccinated.

Last year, 58 measles cases were confirmed in 19 states and the District of Columbia, down from 121 cases across six jurisdictions in 2022. As of January 25, nine cases have been reported in four states: Georgia, Missouri, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Countries around the world are hoping to have a measles vaccination rate of 95% by 2030, but that has happened in recent years, with many blaming the COVID pandemic. Between 2020 and 2022, 61 million doses of measles-containing vaccine were postponed or missed because of COVID-related delays, according to the CDC. That ultimately increases the risk of larger outbreaks in the U.S. and around the world, the agency explains.