Measles: What to Know About Symptoms & Prevention

Measles is a serious, highly contagious illness that can lead to severe complications—but it's preventable. Learn how to protect yourself and your community with facts about symptoms, vaccines, and travel recommendations.

What is Measles?

Measles is a highly contagious virus that causes a fever and rash. Symptoms often include a cough, runny nose, and red eyes. A rash usually appears on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.

Measles can lead to serious problems like pneumonia, inflammation around the brain, and even death.

How Does Measles Spread?

Measles spreads through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, laughs, or even just breathes. The virus can stay in the air and on surfaces. Touching these surfaces can put you at risk for infection.

Measles is more contagious than COVID-19, the flu, or Ebola.

Get information about measles from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.

How to Prevent Measles

The MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, and rubella) is the best way to protect yourself and your community.

• 1 dose provides 93% protection
• 2 doses provides 97% protection

Who Should Get the Measles Vaccine?

• Children should get two doses—first at 12 to 15 months, second at 4 to 6 years
• Adults born before 1957 are likely immune due to past infection
• Adults born from 1957 through 1967 may have received a less effective vaccine than what is currently available. Ask your provider about getting the current MMR vaccine.

Learn more about measles vaccination recommendations.

Traveling? Check Your Measles Immunity

If you're going to a place with a measles outbreak or traveling internationally, make sure you’re protected.

How to Know If You’re Immune Against Measles

You are considered immune if you:

• Have proof of two MMR vaccine doses, or
• Have documentation of a past measles infection

Not sure about your status? Ask your provider for a simple blood test to check your immunity. An antibody test will tell your provider if you would benefit from an updated vaccination.

Who Should Not Get the MMR Vaccine?

Some people should not get the MMR vaccine, including:

• People with severely weakened immune systems (for example, from organ transplants, chemotherapy, or advanced HIV)
• People with certain immune system disorders
• Pregnant individuals

If someone cannot get the vaccine, it’s especially important that other people around them are protected.

How is Measles Diagnosed?

Although measles is rare in Iowa (with no reported cases since 2019), testing is available for people with symptoms and a recent travel history that suggests possible exposure.

Diagnosis includes:

• Nose or throat swab
• Urine test
• Blood test, though this may not show results until a few weeks after symptoms begin

Is There a Treatment for Measles? What About Vitamin A?

There is no cure for measles. Supportive care includes:

• Rest
• Fluids
• Fever-reducing medicine like acetaminophen

In some hospital cases, vitamin A may be given to reduce the risk of serious complications, but it does not decrease the duration of the symptoms. This should only done under professional medical care due to vitamin A toxicity that can cause liver damage.