How Can the Measles Outbreak Be Contained?

Families are stronger when they are healthy, and immunizations tend to help individuals stay healthy. For decades, there were few measles outbreaks because parents had their children immunized. Then parents began questioning the effectiveness of immunizations.

I found an article published at the Deseret News to be interesting and educational, and I encourage all parents to read it. Dr. Nathan Money is a board-certified, hospital-based pediatrician in Utah and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Thus, he should be qualified to share his thoughts on the topic of measles and immunization. 

In 2025, the United States had its worst measles outbreak in decades, including the first children to die from measles in 20 years. It’s 2026, and measles cases seem to only be getting worse: 2026 cases have already reached 50% of 2025’s total cases in just two months. Utah has been a hotbed for measles cases, accounting for nearly 1 in 3 of all cases in the United States, with most cases occurring in the southwestern counties.

The recent outbreak is likely a direct result of declining measles immunization rates. Improving immunization rates against measles will be vital to reversing its spread in our community. Recent models suggest that if measles immunization rates decrease 10%, the United States will see an estimated 11 million cases of measles over the next 25 years (an average of 440,000 cases per year). In contrast, if we can increase immunization rates by 5%, there will be only 5,800 cases over that same time frame (an average of around 200 cases per year).

Measles is far more than a rash and fever – it is pneumonia in a previously healthy child, brain swelling in an intensive care unit and anxiety for families who thought it was gone. At its core, measles prevention is about protecting children, especially those who are too young or too medically vulnerable to be fully protected themselves.

As a hospital-based pediatrician in Utah, I want to help keep children safe, healthy and out of the hospital. Below are 10 important questions Utah parents should get answered about measles recognition and prevention.

Is measles really that dangerous for children?

Yes. Measles can be very dangerous and even life threatening, especially in infants. It is extremely contagious, and many children with measles are hospitalized due to complications. Of those, 1 in 1,000 dies.

What are the first signs and symptoms of measles?

The first signs of measles include a fever, runny nose, cough and red eyes. A few days later, a red rash can appear that starts on the head and spreads downward.

My child was exposed; when might I see symptoms?

Measles symptoms usually take one to two weeks to start after exposure…. If your child is immunized, the chances of them getting measles are very low.

How contagious is the measles virus?

Measles is extremely contagious; it can spread through the air and survive for two hours in a room after a person with measles has left it. A person with measles will spread it to 90% of unimmunized people they have contact with. Those with measles should quarantine until at least four days after the appearance of their rash.

I think my child has measles, what should I do?

If you suspect your child has measles – especially if they have been exposed recently – you should call your health care provider for guidance….

Please call the facility before you go to notify them … and wear a mask….

My child has measles. What complications should I watch for?

Two important complications of measles are pneumonia (1 in 20) and brain swelling (encephalitis, 1 in 1000). Many cases of measles can safely recover at home, but you should seek immediate medical attention if your child is struggling to breathe or has altered mental status or seizures.

When should my child be immunized, and how effective is immunization?

Measles immunizations are usually given when children are one and four years old….

The MMR immunization is 97% effective at preventing infection – only 4% of cases in 2025 were in immunized people. If your child is immunized and still gets measles, they will have a milder case and are less likely to have complications….

What is subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE)?

SSPE is a complication of measles that can occur years after infection. One in 600 infants that get measles will have this complication, which is usually fatal….

Is the MMR vaccine associated with autism?

No. Several large studies have been done to investigate this and immunized children have never shown an increased risk of autism.

How do the complications from the MMR vaccine compare to measles complications?

 … The MMR vaccination carries some side effects, but they pale in comparison to potential measles complications.

Estimated risks for the MMR vaccine compared to risk of measles complications

MMR Vaccine Side Effects

Fever, rash (1 in 10)

Swollen lymph nodes (1 in 10)

Joint pain (1 in 200)

Febrile seizure (1 in 3,000)

Anaphylaxis (1 in 700,000)

Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP) (1 in 40,000)

 

Measles Outbreak

                USA Today reported that “as many as 1,000 people across three Arizona counties potentially exposed to the measles….

                “The possible exposure rate of 1,000 people is tied in large part to those who may have come in contact with 195 children… exposed to measles between January 20 and 21 at the Phoenix Children’s East Valley Center in Mesa….

                “To date, officials have confirmed seven cases of measles:  five in Pinal County, two in Maricopa County.  In addition, health officials in Gila County are working to identify anyone who might have come in contact with one of the Pinal County patients, who visited a hospital there in mid-January….

                “Public-health officials believe the cases of measles will probably grow, but they do not want to instill panic.”

                News.Yahoo.com  quoted Will Humble, Director of Arizona Department of Health Services:  This is a critical point in this outbreak…. If the public health system and medical community are able to identify every single susceptible case and get them into isolation, we have a chance of stopping this outbreak here.”

                The Arizona epidemic comes from the outbreak “centered around the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim outside Los Angeles, and has grown to 84 confirmed cases in 14 states, 67 of which are known to be linked to the Disney outbreak, the US Centers for Disease Control said…. Four of the patients diagnosed in Arizona are members of one unvaccinatedfamily who visited the California resort.  The scariest thing about this outbreak is that it infected six infants who were too young to be vaccinated.  h

                This site reported that some doctors in Los Angeles, California, and surrounding area are refusing to see children whose parents refuse to get them vaccinated.

                Dr. Charles Goodman stated, “Parents who choose not to give measles shots, they’re not just putting their kids at risk, but they’re also putting other kids at risk – especially kids in my waiting room.”

                This is a sentiment that has been shared by other doctors in recent years.  Now that our nation faces its “second-biggest measles outbreak in at least 15 years” questions are being raced about the “ethical responsibilities” of such doctors.  Of course, if the relationship been the doctor and patient is “unworkable,” something else needs to be done.

                According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the “measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, or MMR, is 97 percent effective at preventing measles.  “Nationally, childhood measles vaccination rates have held steady for years at above 90 percent.  But there seem to be growing pockets of unvaccinated people in scattered communities,” said Dr. Gregory Wallace of the CDC.

                All of the states require certain vaccinations in order to enroll in school, but some states have opt out programs with personal belief waivers allowed for either concerns, religious or other reasons.  People who do not believe in vaccinations often form small communities, where the measles virus spreads quickly and infects approximately 90 percent of the unvaccinated members.

                Measles is a highly contagious disease – the most contagious or at least among the most contagious.  The measles virus is transmitted by sneezes and/or coughs and spreads easily through the air without any physical contact necessary.  It can live in air droplets for two hours after the infected person leaves the room.   It infects 90 percent of any unvaccinated people in contact with it and is most contagious during the four days before the rash appears – when most people are aware they have it.

                The symptoms of the disease include fever, runny nose, conjunctivitis, cough and a red, raised and blotchy rash that starts at the hairline and spreads all over the body.  Symptoms may appear as soon as 7 days or wait 12 or even 21 days after exposure.  Measles makes people very sick with possible fevers of 104-105 degrees and ibuprofen or acetaminophen the “only real treatment.” 

                Measles complication can include blindness, hearing loss, pneumonia, and death.  According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one to three children out of every 1,000 infected with measles will die from it.  Babies who are too young to be vaccinated are the most vulnerable, and measles among them can be very deadly.  Measles are also very dangerous among pregnant women because of the danger of miscarrying or giving birth prematurely.  Elderly and frail people are also at risk.

                Most measles outbreaks in the United States occur when an unvaccinated American travels to another country and brings the virus back with him.  One such outbreak took place in Ohio in 2014 when an Amish missionary  went to the Philippines that was facing a big measles outbreak; he returned home with the virus and spread it to more than 400 other people in the unvaccinated Amish community.  After seeing how sick people got with the measles, the Amish people quickly corrected their mistake by getting vaccinated.

                For more information about measles check out this article entitled “Nine Things Everyone Should Know about Measles”  by Julia Belluz and this article entitled “Everything You Need to Know about Vaccines” by German Lopez.

                Doctors and others in the health field have some good suggestions:  (1) Take personal responsibility, tell the truth, and use common sense.  (2) Anyone who has been notified they have been exposed or anyone who thinks they have been exposed should isolate themselves.  (3) Parents concerned about sending their children to day care or school should ask some direct questions about how many children in their group are vaccinated and keep their children home if necessary.  (4) Any unvaccinated or under-vaccinated people who have been exposed need to be in isolation for 21 days.  (5) Pharmacies can give measles vaccination but call to insure they have the vaccine in stock.  Anyone without insurance may have to pay $100 per shot.

                With this kind of information available, many people still refuse to vaccinate their children because of fear.  I support their freedom to make such a choice, but I do not understand their reasoning.  In fact, I think their reasons look ridiculous, especially during outbreaks of disease like the current one.  Parents who vaccinate their children do not want their children exposed by unvaccinated children.   There is much anger in our nation between the two groups. 

                I was vaccinated as a child for small pox and polio.  I do not remember having “the hard kind” of measles but I did have the mumps, whooping cough, and probably the German measles (a milder kind if I understand correctly). 

                I made sure that my children were vaccinated at the suggested ages.  In fact, one of my daughters was selected to be in a “control group” when the question of a MMR booster arose because she was vaccinated at the correct ages.  She was tested in high school and found that she needed a booster.  To the best of my knowledge, all of my grandchildren have been vaccinated at the suggested ages and all of them are healthy.  I remember the concern of another daughter who was pregnant and working at a high school when a whooping cough outbreak happened.

                I was in grade school when a polio epidemic swept our nation.  I remember my parents’ fear and then their relief when the polio vaccine was available.  One of my classmates contracted polio and wore a brace throughout grade school, junior high, and most of high school.  I visited with him at our 50 year high school reunion and noticed that he still walks with a very noticeable limp.  I also had a cousin who came down with measles and was sick for numerous weeks.  Parents in that day knew the dangers of those awful diseases and took every precaution they could take.

                There are so many terrible diseases without vaccine available in the world.  Why should children be exposed to diseases they can avoid with vaccination?  Why should we risk their health and possibly their lives when we can protect them?  I hope this gives you a little more information about the highly contagious measles virus and what you can do to help eradicate it from our nation or at least contain it.