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The MMR vaccine provides lasting protection against measles. Fully vaccinated people are protected, but certain groups may want to consider a booster shot. It\u2019s safe to get another shot of the MMR vaccine, according to doctors. <\/p>\n
Two people in Pennsylvania have died from complications of measles<\/a>, marking the first deaths from the virus in the Commonwealth in 35 years, according to Pennsylvania officials<\/a>. And cases of the highly contagious virus continue to increase around the country as well.<\/p>\n As of August 20, there have been 2,777 confirmed cases of measles in the U.S. across 47 states and jurisdictions, along with more \u201cprobable\u201d cases, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a> (CDC). That\u2019s already significantly more than the 2,289 confirmed cases in 2025 and 285 cases reported in 2024.<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, 2026 is already the highest year for measles cases on record since 1991, per CDC data\u2014and we\u2019re only in August.<\/p>\n As cases of the virus are being detected in most areas of the country, many people are wondering what they can do to prevent infection. After all, measles can be dangerous. While it\u2019s known for causing fever<\/a>, rash, and cold-like symptoms including cough<\/a>, runny nose, and watery eyes, it can also lead to serious complications\u2014particularly for kids under 5, adults over 20, pregnant people, and those with a weakened immune system. About one out of every five unvaccinated adults who get measles needs to be hospitalized, and one out of 20 kids infected will develop pneumonia, per the CDC<\/a>.<\/p>\n Most people are aware that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is highly effective at preventing the virus, so measles prevention starts there. But what about if you have received the measles vaccine? Is a measles booster a thing, like with the flu shot<\/a> or COVID-19? Would getting one offer greater protection?<\/p>\n Simply put, most people won\u2019t need a measles booster, but some might\u2014and the details matter. Plus, knowing your vaccination history can go a long way toward protecting yourself in the future, according to infectious disease doctors. Here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/p>\n Meet the experts: Amesh A. Adalja, M.D.,<\/a> a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security; Thomas Russo, M.D.,<\/a> a professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York<\/p>\n What is a measles booster?<\/p>\n The current measles vaccination recommendation is a two-dose series of the MMR vaccine. This is 97% effective at preventing measles, according to the CDC<\/a>. One dose offers slightly lower protection; it\u2019s 93% effective at preventing measles.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are no \u2018measles boosters\u2019 in the technical sense,\u201d says Amesh A. Adalja, M.D.,<\/a> a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. What you may have heard called a \u201cmeasles booster\u201d is simply another dose of the MMR vaccine, explains Thomas Russo, M.D.,<\/a> a professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York. This additional dose of the MMR vaccine is given to people who may have received a less effective form of the vaccine or didn\u2019t get enough doses the first time around, he explains. (More on that in a moment).<\/p>\n Does everyone need a measles booster?<\/p>\n Nope. \u201cIf you\u2019re fully vaccinated with the two-dose MMR schedule, you\u2019re good to go,\u201d Dr. Russo says. That protection lasts over time, according to Dr. Adalja. \u201cMeasles immunity doesn\u2019t wane the way pertussis or COVID immunity does,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n Technically, there is no routine measles booster for healthy, fully vaccinated adults, Dr. Adalja points out. \u201cNone is recommended, even in the middle of the current outbreaks,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Add Prevention as a preferred source in your Google search results.<\/p>\n Use your Google account to add this to your settings.<\/p>\n Add to Google settings<\/p>\n Who might benefit from a measles booster?<\/p>\n There are certain groups who should consider getting an additional dose of the MMR vaccine. If you\u2019re in one of these groups, doctors say you may want to look into a measles booster a little further:<\/p>\n People vaccinated between 1963 and 1967 with a specific form of the shot. \u201cAn inactivated\u2014killed\u2014measles vaccine was given to some people during that time,\u201d Dr. Russo says. \u201cIt was less effective\u201d than the live-attenuated version used afterward. Dr. Adalja agrees. \u201cThat vaccine did not confer durable protection, and those doses are considered invalid,\u201d he says. Further complicating things, though, is that not everyone was given this type of vaccine during this time frame. \u201cIf you have documentation of the live vaccine from that era, it doesn\u2019t need to be repeated,\u201d Dr. Adalja says. People born before 1989 are at higher risk. One dose of the MMR vaccine was standard during this time, which doesn\u2019t provide as much protection as the two-dose series, Dr. Russo says. For most people, one dose should be okay. But \u201cif you fall into a higher-risk category\u2014international travel, healthcare work, postsecondary student, or living in or traveling to an outbreak area\u2014a second dose is warranted,\u201d Dr. Adalja says. For everyone else, there is no standard catch-up recommendation. <\/p>\n People who were born before 1957 are assumed to have immunity to measles, given how widely the virus circulated before that time, per the CDC<\/a>. And if you\u2019re fully vaccinated and live with someone who is vulnerable to measles, Dr. Russo says you don\u2019t need to take any extra precautions.<\/p>\n What to do if you don\u2019t know your vaccination history<\/p>\n The MMR vaccine is typically a childhood vaccine, making it hard to know if you actually received it as a kid. You can try to track down your childhood pediatrician\u2019s records, your state immunization registry, high school or college health records, or military records, Dr. Adalja says. Still can\u2019t find them? There are a few things you can do.<\/p>\n![\"Google\"](\"https:\/\/www.prevention.com\/_assets\/design-tokens\/fre\/static\/icons\/social\/google.1467f37.svg\")
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