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Traveling this year? It's advisable to ensure you're vaccinated against measles, given the uptick in measles cases. In the U.S. there have been 1088 measles cases recorded so far in 2025, nearly 4X the number of cases in all of 2024.
Moreover, the CDC has received at least 62 reports of travelers who were contagious with the highly transmissible virus while flying into the U.S. or within the country, during the first 5 months of 2025. After investigating fifty of the travelers involved, the CDC determined that the measles transmission occurred during air travel during at least one of the cases. This can happen between passengers sitting in close proximity to each other. Measles is highly contagious and spreads when an infected person sneezes, coughs, or talks, spraying droplets into the air. A person who breathes in the droplets can catch measles; the droplets can remain infectious up to two hours. Note that individuals are infectious 4 days before and 4 days after the onset of the characteristic rash.
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Where are the Worst Measles Outbreaks?
Within the U.S., Texas has accounted for a disproportionate share of U.S. measles cases; 738 cases, many of them in West Texas, especially Gaines County.
Within Canada, Ontario and Alberta have seen the most cases in 2025, while in Mexico, many of the cases have been concentrated among the Mennonite communities in the state of Chihuahua.
Internationally, the following countries have significant measles outbreaks at time of writing:
- Yemen
- Pakistan
- India
- Afghanistan
- Ethiopia
- Kyrgyzstan
- Romania
- Thailand
- Indonesia
- Nigeria
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Who Should Be Vaccinated (or Boosted)
Infants 6–11 months old who are traveling internationally are recommended to receive one dose of MMR vaccine at least two weeks before their trip. However, if an infant had one dose of MMR vaccine before their first birthday, they should follow the recommended routine childhood immunization schedule and get another dose at 12–15 months and a final dose at 4–6 years.
Children 12 months old and older, teenagers, and adults who are unsure of their immunity against measles should receive two doses of MMR vaccine at least 28 days apart before international travel.
If you're an adult who was vaccinated prior to 1989, when one dose of the MMR vaccine was standard, you may want to consider getting a measles vaccine booster, especially if you travel internationally or are a health care worker, since immunity from the MMR vaccine does gradually wane over time.
Note that the vaccine provides some protection within about two weeks of the initial shot, but the 97% protection is only attained after two doses of the vaccine. Side effects of the vaccine can include soreness around the injection site, a temporary rash and/or fever, and in a few cases, tender joints or lymph nodes.
Also note that some people should *not* be vaccinated, especially those who are (or may be) pregnant, have a weakened immune system (or family member with immune system problems), have recently had a blood transfusion, have had any other vaccines within the past 4 weeks, or had an allergic reaction after a previous dose of MMR or MMRV vaccine, or who has any severe, life-threatening allergies. Consult your doctor.
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