Can you get measles if you are vaccinated?

The vaccine against measles, mumps and ruberes (MMR) is considered extremely effective.
However, some people could get measles after they were fully vaccinated – the falls explain how and why this could happen and share information about severity.
Doctors have some recommendations on what you need to do if you are not fully vaccinated.

Texas measles outbreak continues to grow. To date, 146 people have been infected with the state virus since the end of January, according to Department of State Health Services in Texas. Of these, 20 were hospitalized and a child died.

The focal has spread to a neighboring county of New Mexicowhere nine people were infected (including four children).

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the new secretary of the Human Health and Services Department, wrote in an OP-ED published on Fox News Digital That, while the choice of being vaccinated is “personal”, the measles, mmr) (MMR) vaccine is “crucial to avoid potentially deadly disease” – helping its position in this regard.

Measles is an extremely contagious virus that causes symptoms such as high fever, cough and rash, according to Centers for disease control and prevention (CDC). But measles can also cause serious and sometimes fatal complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis or swelling of the brain.

There were 164 measles cases in the US by 2025, some cases unpreceded with the latest outbreak, per CDC data. Most cases have been to people who are either unvaccinated or it is not clear if they were vaccinated, according to the CDC.

Make acquaintance with experts: John Sellick, do., expert in infectious diseases and professor of medicine at the University of Buffalo; Prathit kulkarni, mdAssistant professor of infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine; Peter A. Zimmerman, PhD. Professor of international health with the center of Western University for Health and Global diseases.

With all the attention around measles right now, it is fair to ask if you can get measles if you are vaccinated. Explains infectious disease doctors.

Can you still get measles after vaccination?

Technically, yes, you can get everything you need to value after vaccination. “However, this is generally quite rare,” says Prathit kulkarni, mdAssistant professor of infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine.

While the vaccine is considered effective, it is not perfect. “This is not 100%,” says Peter A. Zimmerman, PhD. Professor of international health with the center of Western University for Health and Global diseases.

Something else to consider: The MMR vaccine is given in two doses. “If you have only one dose, it is less effective than you have both doses,” says John Sellick, do., an expert in infectious diseases and professor of medicine at the University of Buffalo.

The MMR vaccine is part of childhood routine vaccinations. Currently, it is advisable to get the first dose of vaccine between 12 and 15 months, and the second dose between four and six, or whenever children start school, according to The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The older children who are vaccinated for the first time will have to spare the doses up to 28 days.

What are the chances of getting measles if vaccinated?

Each person’s immune response to the MMR vaccine is different, Dr. Sellick points out. “There will always be someone who falls,” he says. “Why is not completely clear.”

Generally a dose of MMR vaccine is 93% effective compared to measles, while the two recommended doses are 97% effective in preventing disease, on CDC.

About three out of 100 people who get both MMR vaccine doses will continue to receive measles if they are exposed to the virus, according to CDC. “If someone has measles after vaccination, the disease is usually easier than if someone who is unvaccinated acquires the infection,” says Dr. Kulkarni.

If you are not sure of your immune status, there is an Blood test You can take. But Dr. Sellick points out that most people are based only on their vaccination history, given that it is easier and faster.

Can adults catch measles from children?

Unfortunately, yes, adults can catch measles from children. The measles virus can survive in the air and infected surfaces for up to Two hoursMaking easy catching if you are unvaccinated or you do not have immunity to the virus, says Dr. Sellick.

Zimmerman agrees. “The virus does not distinguish between adults and children,” he says. “So, if an unvaccinated adult is exposed to a child with measles, it will probably be infected.”

But adults do not necessarily have to have been vaccinated to be immune to measles. Adults who were born Before 1957 It is assumed to be immune to the virus, because almost everyone has been infected with measles in childhood before the MMR vaccine is available, explains Dr. Sellick. However, CDC He recommends health workers born before 1957, who have no immunity laboratory evidence to consider two doses of MMR vaccine.

If you were completely vaccinated against measles or you know you had a child, Dr. Sellick says you’ll be fine. “I know I’m immune,” he says. “I would have no problem taking care of a patient with measles.”

Who needs a measles rape?

There are a few people who should consider a measles rape. Zimmerman says that people born between 1963 and 1967 received a less effective form of the measles vaccine. That’s why The Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that you reaccinate if this describes you. “People who are not sure about their vaccination status should be vaccinated,” says Zimmerman.

But, because the MMR vaccine is a live virus vaccine, people who are severely immunocompromise and those who are currently pregnant should not get it, says Zimmerman.

While most people who have had two doses of MMR vaccine should not get an additional dose, Dr. Sellick says it has no harm to getting a booster if you are not sure about your vaccination status. “It’s very safe to get another dose,” he says. “If you are already immune, your immune system will chew that vaccine just as the virus will chew if you are exposed.”