VACCINE PREVENTABLE DISEASE SECTION
Measles Vaccination Recommendations
Measles vaccination
Vaccination is the best way to prevent
measles.
Measles vaccine is available combined with
mumps and rubella vaccines as MMR, or
MMR combined with varicella vaccine as
MMRV. The MMR vaccine is a liveattenuated (weakened) vaccine that
produces a mild, non-infectious response.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization
Practices (ACIP) recommends that MMR be
used when any of the individual
components is indicated. Single-antigen
measles vaccine is not available in the
United States.
Vaccine recommendations
MMR vaccine provides long-lasting
protection against measles.
Infants: If traveling internationally, infants 6
through 11 months old should receive 1
dose of MMR vaccine before departure.
▪
Infants who receive a dose of MMR
vaccine before their first birthday
should receive 2 more doses of MMR
vaccine at the recommended ages and
at least 28 days apart.
Children: Children should receive 2 doses of
MMR vaccine–the first dose at 12 through
15 months of age and the second dose 4
through 6 years of age.
▪
Giving the second dose of the vaccine
earlier is allowed as long as it is at least
28 days after the first dose.
Students/travelers/health care personnel:
Unless they have evidence of measles
immunity, college and other students,
health care personnel, and international
travelers need 2 doses that have been given
on or after age 1 and at least 28 days apart.
Adults: All other adults born in or after
1957 should have documentation of at least
1 dose of MMR or other evidence of
measles immunity.
Contraindications and
precautions to MMR
vaccination
Patients who are severely
immunocompromised for any reason
should not be given MMR vaccine.
However, HIV-infected individuals may
receive MMR vaccination if they are not
severely immunosuppressed. HIV-infected
children may receive MMR vaccine if CD4+
T-lymphocyte count is >15 percent; HIVinfected adults may receive MMR vaccine if
they are not severely immunocompromised
(i.e., CD4 count is 200 cells/µL or greater).
Women known to be pregnant should not
receive measles vaccine. Pregnancy should
be avoided for 4 weeks following MMR
vaccine.
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MEASLES VACCINATION RECOMMENDATIONS
Persons receiving large daily doses of
corticosteroids (>2 mg/kg per day or >20
mg per day of prednisone) for 14 days or
more should not receive MMR vaccine
because it can lead to complications. Avoid
MMR vaccination for at least one month
after stopping high dose therapy.
Administration of blood products and
immune globulin require waiting a certain
period of time before administration of
measles vaccine.
▪
Refer to the most current Vaccine
Information Statement
(http://www.immunize.org/vis/vis_mmr
.asp) for measles.
Additional information
▪
▪
▪
▪
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Close contact with a pregnant woman is
not a contraindication to MMR
vaccination of the contact.
Breastfeeding is not a contraindication
to vaccination of either the woman or
the breastfeeding child.
Persons receiving low dose or short
course (<14 days) corticosteroid
therapy, alternate- day treatment,
maintenance physiologic doses, or
topical, aerosol, intra-articular, bursal,
or tendon injections may be vaccinated.
Patients with leukemia in remission who
have not received chemotherapy for at
least 3 months may receive MMR or its
component vaccines.
For more information, see:
▪ MDH immunization website
(http://www.health.state.mn.us/im
munize)
▪ MMR ACIP Vaccine
Recommendations
(http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/
acip-recs/vacc-specific/mmr.html)
Effectiveness of MMR vaccine
MMR vaccine is about 93 percent effective
at preventing measles after 1 dose and
about 97 percent effective after 2 doses.
▪
▪
The second dose of MMR is
administered to provide a second
chance to respond to vaccination.
Very few people who get 2 doses of
measles vaccine will still get measles if
exposed to the virus.
Minnesota Department of Health
Vaccine-Preventable Disease Section
PO Box 64975
St. Paul, MN 55164-0975
651-201-5414
www.health.state.mn.us/immunize
To obtain this information in a different format, call:
651-201-5414.
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