Public Health

In 1954, John F. Enders and Dr. Thomas C. Peebles collected blood samples from several ill students during a measles outbreak in Boston, Massachusetts. They wanted to isolate the measles virus in the student’s blood and create a measles vaccine. They succeeded in isolating the measles virus in 13-year-old David Edmonston’s blood.

The isolated virus was adapted and propagated on chick embryo tissue culture. It became known as the "Edmonston-B strain" of measles virus. In 1963, John Enders and colleagues transformed their Edmonston-B strain of measles virus into a vaccine and licensed it in the United States. Maurice Hilleman and his colleagues developed an even weaker virus strain that led to an improved vaccine. This vaccine, called the Edmonston-Enders (formerly “Moraten”) strain has been the only measles vaccine used in the United States since 1968.

Measles Vaccination (MMR/MMRV)

Measles can be prevented with measles-containing vaccine, which is primarily administered as the combination measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine or the combination measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV) vaccine. Single-antigen measles vaccines are not available.

Childhood Vaccination Schedules

The CDC recommends routine childhood immunization for MMR vaccine:

• First dose at 12 through 15 months of age
• Second dose at 4 through 6 years of age (or at least 28 days following the first dose)

The measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV) vaccine is also available to children 12 months through 12 years of age. The minimum interval between MMRV doses is three months. MMRV should not be administered to anyone older than 12 years of age.

Adult Vaccinations

• People who are born during or after 1957 who do not have evidence of immunity against measles should get at least one dose of MMR vaccine.
• Students at post-high school educational institutions without evidence of measles immunity need two doses of MMR vaccine, with the second dose administered no earlier than 28 days after the first dose.

International Travelers

People 6 months of age or older who will be traveling internationally should be protected against measles. Before traveling internationally:

• Infants 6 through 11 months of age should receive one dose of MMR vaccine
• Children 12 months of age or older should have documentation of two doses of MMR vaccine (the first dose of MMR vaccine should be administered at age 12 months or older; the second dose no earlier than 28 days after the first dose)
• Teenagers and adults born during or after 1957 without evidence of immunity against measles should have documentation of two doses of MMR vaccine, with the second dose administered no earlier than 28 days after the first dose

Note: Infants who get one dose of MMR vaccine before their first birthday should get two more doses according to the routinely recommended schedule (one dose at 12 through 15 months of age and another dose at 4 through 6 years of age or at least 28 days later).

Acceptable presumptive evidence of immunity against measles includes at least one of the following:

• Written documentation of adequate vaccination
  • One or more doses of a measles-containing vaccine administered on or after the first birthday for preschool-age children and adults not at high risk
  • Two doses of measles-containing vaccine for school-age children and adults at high risk, including college students, healthcare personnel, and international travelers
• Laboratory evidence of immunity
• Laboratory confirmation of measles
• Birth before 1957

Healthcare providers and health departments should not accept verbal reports of vaccination without written documentation as presumptive evidence of immunity.