When is measles no longer contagious

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Transmission of Measles. Minus Related Pages. It spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

How measles spreads Measles is a highly contagious virus that lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person. Animals do not get or spread measles. The virus can live for up to two hours in an airspace.

Measles is very contagious and can be serious. An unvaccinated child can get measles when traveling abroad or even in the U. Two doses of MMR vaccine provide the best protection against measles for your child. You may be wondering what you as a parent really need to know about measles. CDC has put together a list of the most important facts about measles for parents like you. Some people think of measles as just a little rash and fever that clears up in a few days, but measles can cause serious health complications , especially in children younger than 5 years of age.

There is no way to tell in advance the severity of the symptoms your child will experience. Related page: Measles Signs and Symptoms. Measles spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

It is so contagious that if one person has it, up to 9 out of 10 people around him or her will also become infected if they are not protected. Your child can get measles just by being in a room where a person with measles has been, even up to two hours after that person has left. Measles was declared eliminated from the U.

Eliminated means that the disease is no longer constantly present in this country. Because the vaccine is less effective at that age, a baby who receives the measles vaccine before age 1 should later get two more doses under the regular schedule. The measles vaccine is extremely safe. Some children — about 10 percent — will develop a fever about six to 12 days after vaccination, and an even smaller percentage will have a rash that can last a few hours to a day or two.

In extremely rare cases, the fever can precipitate a seizure in children predisposed to fever-induced seizures. Scientific research has shown unequivocally that the measles vaccine does NOT cause autism or other permanent neurologic or developmental problems. The vaccine contains a live but weakened form of the measles virus that is designed to create immunity without causing full-blown illness.

In children with normal immune systems, the vaccine will not cause full-blown measles. A tiny percentage of children born with defective immune systems may develop a measles-like illness after receiving the vaccine.

If the immune deficiency is diagnosed in time, these children should not be vaccinated. Because infants and a small number of other people cannot receive the vaccine, it is critically important that the rest of the population be vaccinated to prevent outbreaks and spread of the disease.

Health Home Conditions and Diseases. Why are we seeing an increase in measles cases? Who is most at risk? If most people are immunized, how do outbreaks happen? If my child has been immunized, is there any cause for concern? What about my baby, who has only completed part of the immunization schedule? Should I be concerned?