{"id":6268,"date":"2025-05-06T11:14:02","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T19:14:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.threadalaska.org\/learn-and-grow\/blog\/measles-what-to-know-and-how-to-stay-protected"},"modified":"2025-06-02T11:14:03","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T19:14:03","slug":"measles-what-to-know-and-how-to-stay-protected","status":"publish","type":"learn-and-grow-blog","link":"https:\/\/www.threadalaska.org\/learn-and-grow\/blog\/measles-what-to-know-and-how-to-stay-protected","title":{"rendered":"Measles: What to Know and How to Stay Protected"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Measles is a serious but preventable illness. Thanks to high vaccination rates in the United States, the risk of widespread measles transmission remains low. Still, cases do occur, especially among unvaccinated individuals and travelers returning from countries where measles is more common. Understanding how measles spreads, what symptoms look like, and how to prevent infection is key to keeping yourself and your community safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Measles is a highly contagious viral respiratory illness. It spreads through the air when someone with the virus coughs or sneezes and can linger in the air or on surfaces for hours. It\u2019s one of the most contagious diseases known\u2014about 90% of unvaccinated people who are exposed will become infected. While most people recover, measles can lead to serious complications, particularly in young children:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Globally, about 10 million people contract measles each year, and approximately 110,000 die, most of them children under 5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Symptoms usually appear 7\u201314 days after exposure and may include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you think you or your child may have measles, call your healthcare provider or public health department right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The MMR vaccine protects against measles, mumps, and rubella and is both safe and effective. Two doses provide long-lasting immunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most adults do not need booster doses if they were vaccinated as children\u2014unless they fall into a special category, such as healthcare workers, college students, or international travelers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Travelers may need additional protection depending on their destination and age. If you’re planning to travel internationally, follow these CDC recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the most up-to-date travel vaccine guidance, visit the CDC\u2019s Travelers\u2019 Health site<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recent measles cases in the U.S. have primarily been linked to international travel and outbreaks in communities with lower vaccination rates, including some areas in Texas and other states. However, because the majority of Americans are vaccinated, the overall risk to the general population remains low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you or someone in your family shows symptoms, call your provider before visiting a clinic. This helps reduce the risk of exposing others, especially vulnerable patients like infants or people with weakened immune systems. Healthcare providers and labs are required to report confirmed or suspected measles cases immediately to public health authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Alaskans, local information is available via State of Alaska Department of Health<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Measles is preventable. The MMR vaccine remains our best defense. Whether you’re a parent making sure your child stays on schedule, an adult checking on past immunizations, or planning international travel, staying informed and protected benefits everyone. If you have questions about your vaccination status or need help accessing vaccines, talk to your healthcare provider or local health department.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat to Know About Current Measles Cases<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What to Do If You Suspect Measles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Where to Find Reliable Information<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Press Release from the Anchorage Health Department: Measles Confirmed in Anchorage<\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":6269,"template":"","lg_tags":[],"news_categories":[],"class_list":["post-6268","learn-and-grow-blog","type-learn-and-grow-blog","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/www.threadalaska.org\/learn-and-grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/FY25-Social-Posts-2025-05-06T111020.316.png",1080,1080,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.threadalaska.org\/learn-and-grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/FY25-Social-Posts-2025-05-06T111020.316-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.threadalaska.org\/learn-and-grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/FY25-Social-Posts-2025-05-06T111020.316-300x300.png",300,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.threadalaska.org\/learn-and-grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/FY25-Social-Posts-2025-05-06T111020.316-768x768.png",768,768,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.threadalaska.org\/learn-and-grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/FY25-Social-Posts-2025-05-06T111020.316-1024x1024.png",1024,1024,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.threadalaska.org\/learn-and-grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/FY25-Social-Posts-2025-05-06T111020.316.png",1080,1080,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.threadalaska.org\/learn-and-grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/FY25-Social-Posts-2025-05-06T111020.316.png",1080,1080,false],"ab-block-post-grid-landscape":["https:\/\/www.threadalaska.org\/learn-and-grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/FY25-Social-Posts-2025-05-06T111020.316-600x400.png",600,400,true],"ab-block-post-grid-square":["https:\/\/www.threadalaska.org\/learn-and-grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/FY25-Social-Posts-2025-05-06T111020.316-600x600.png",600,600,true],"gb-block-post-grid-landscape":["https:\/\/www.threadalaska.org\/learn-and-grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/FY25-Social-Posts-2025-05-06T111020.316-600x400.png",600,400,true],"gb-block-post-grid-square":["https:\/\/www.threadalaska.org\/learn-and-grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/FY25-Social-Posts-2025-05-06T111020.316-600x600.png",600,600,true],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.threadalaska.org\/learn-and-grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/FY25-Social-Posts-2025-05-06T111020.316-125x125.png",125,125,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"msiadmin","author_link":"https:\/\/www.threadalaska.org\/learn-and-grow\/author"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Measles is a serious but preventable illness. Thanks to high vaccination rates in the United States, the risk of widespread measles transmission remains low. Still, cases do occur, especially among unvaccinated individuals and travelers returning from countries where measles is more common. Understanding how measles spreads, what symptoms look like, and how to prevent infection...…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.threadalaska.org\/learn-and-grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/learn-and-grow-blog\/6268","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.threadalaska.org\/learn-and-grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/learn-and-grow-blog"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.threadalaska.org\/learn-and-grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/learn-and-grow-blog"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.threadalaska.org\/learn-and-grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6269"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.threadalaska.org\/learn-and-grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6268"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"lg_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.threadalaska.org\/learn-and-grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lg_tags?post=6268"},{"taxonomy":"news_categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.threadalaska.org\/learn-and-grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news_categories?post=6268"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}