A resurgence of measles is sweeping through communities nationwide. Health officials warn that the highly contagious virus, which had been nearly eradicated in many regions, is making a dangerous comeback, putting unvaccinated individuals—especially children—at serious risk.
Measles outbreaks
So far there is one confirmed case in Pennsylvania in 2025, according to the Montgomery County Department of Health and it was related to international travel not a local outbreak. The unvaccinated child had been several places in Philadelphia and Montgomery County between Feb. 25 and Feb. 26, 2025.
Health officials said at the time that the child was too young to be vaccinated. It is the first case of measles in Pennsylvania, and this case is unrelated to the outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico.
Measles has been considered eradicated in the U.S. since 2000, but there continues to be outbreaks in the country largely in unvaccinated populations.
Currently there is a major measles outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico.
As of last report, there have been 198 cases in Texas with 23 hospitalized and one death. The school-aged child who died was unvaccinated and had no underlying conditions. There have also been 10 reported cases and one death in New Mexico.
Cases have also been reported in Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York City, Rhode Island and Washington.
How to stay safe
Healthcare providers are also advised to ask patients about upcoming travel plans and to give an early dose of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine at 6 to 11 months for children traveling internationally. It is not recommended before domestic travel at this time.
The Health Department emphasized that this dose will not count as part of the child’s routine vaccination, and the child will need to get a dose after 12 months to start the routine series.
In addition, for children between 12 months and 4 years, an early second dose of MMR should be given before they travel internationally. There needs to be at least 28 days between the first and second dose. This dose counts towards the child’s routine series.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also released a health advisory about the measles outbreaks nationwide advising all U.S. residents to be up to date on their MMR vaccinations, especially before traveling internationally.
What parents need to know
While most measles cases resolve without major complications, there is no 100% way of knowing which patients will or won’t have them.
Vaccination reduces that risk. The CDC states that two does of the MMR vaccine is 97% effective against measles.
Stephen Aronoff, M.D., M.B.A, a pediatrician at Temple Health told Metro, “Measles is a preventable disease. The vaccine has been around for more than 60 years so we know what to expect. For herd immunity to develop, we need rates excess of 90%.”
In Pennsylvania, 94% of all residents are vaccinated against the measles virus. Aronoff said that there have been no reported cases at St. Christopher’s Hospital of Philadelphia this year yet.
What exactly is measles?
Measles is extremely contagious and can be transmitted from person to person through coughing and sneezing, health experts say. The virus can linger in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours.
The first symptoms are usually a cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis of the covering of the white part of the eye and a fever (100.4° or higher), and usually within five days, a flat red spotted rash will appear on the face and the extremities.
Infected people are contagious from 4 days before the rash starts until about 4 days afterwards. The incubation period for measles from exposure to fever can range from 7 to 21 days. Measles can cause severe health complications, including pneumonia, encephalitis, and even death.
According to Aronoff, 1 in 1,000 at risk of post-infection cephalitis. It is more pronounced in younger patients that haven’t been vaccinated yet and less in those who had some vaccination.
If you or a family member develops measles symptoms, he said, stay at home and call your health care provider immediately. In cases of serious complications such as a fever higher than 105°F, trouble breathing, a severe headache, confusion or clumsiness, call first before going into the doctor’s office, urgent care or hospital emergency room. This will reduce exposure to staff members and other patients.
Aronoff said that there is no antiviral drug to treat measles, but some studies show that Vitamin A treatment in those that are deficient can help reduce severity of symptoms.
It is important that Vitamin A is given under the direction of a healthcare provider because too much could lead to hypervitaminosis A, which causes nausea, liver dysfunction and other toxic effects, according to health experts.
“Measles isn’t a problem until your child gets it. Complications from measles aren’t a problem until your kid develops them,” Aronoff said. “By not getting your child vaccinated, you are not only putting your child at risk, but also other kids who can’t be vaccinated.”
