What Doctors Want You to Do After a Measles Exposure
Prevention••health
Key Points:
- Measles cases have surged in the U.S., with nearly 2,100 cases across 44 states in 2025—the highest in 25 years—prompting warnings from public health officials in states like New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Colorado.
- Measles is extremely contagious, capable of infecting up to 18 people from one case, and can remain active in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours; it spreads through respiratory droplets and has a long infectious period starting before symptoms appear.
- The MMR vaccine, given in two doses during childhood, is highly effective (97%) at preventing measles, though adults can still receive it; people born between 1963 and 1967 may need revacc
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