The New York State Department of Health today issued a travel advisory for all New Yorkers urging them to ensure they are fully vaccinated against measles before international travel or travel to an area in the U.S. experiencing an outbreak.
“Measles is more common in different places and exposure during travel is something we need to consider. It’s important that New Yorkers ensure they are up-to-date regarding being immunized against measles in some cases measles is as close as a car ride away,” State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. “Measles can be a serious disease. It is not just a rash; it can cause pneumonia, hospitalization and even death. Protect yourself and your family against measles and make sure you are up-to-date on immunization with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.”
The best protection against measles is the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Travelers should plan to be fully vaccinated against measles at least two weeks before departure. The Department recommends two doses for immunization. If the trip is less than two weeks away and the traveler is not immunized, they should get one dose of MMR. One dose provides 93 percent protection while two doses provide 97 percent protection.
Those who are unsure of their vaccination status should locate their vaccination records and consult their health care provider.
Babies as young as 6 months can get one dose of the MMR vaccine if they are traveling abroad. After travel, these babies should then continue to get their next two MMR vaccines on schedule for a total of three vaccines.
The travel advisory sent to health care providers includes specific MMR vaccine schedules based on the age of the traveler. Anyone who is not protected can get measles while traveling and can easily spread it to others when they return home.
A deluge of vaccine misinformation in recent years has eroded public trust in vaccines, contributing to a rise in vaccine hesitancy and declining vaccination rates. Additionally, the pandemic may have caused people to fall behind on vaccinations. However, due to the seriousness of measles, the Department encourages everyone to get the MMR vaccine.
The total number of measles cases in the United States in the first three months of 2025 has already surpassed the total number of measles cases in all of 2024. As of March 26, 2025, a total of 483 measles cases have been reported in the United States, with the majority in New Mexico and Texas. Most of the 442 cases are among children who had not received the MMR vaccine. Additionally, the ongoing outbreak in Canada has reached more than 600 cases with the majority (570 cases) occurring in Ontario.
In addition to Canada, many other countries around the world have an increased number of measles cases including Yemen, Pakistan, India, Thailand, Ethiopia, Romania, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, and Vietnam.
There have been four total cases of measles in New York State so far this year, three in New York City and one in Suffolk County. None of the cases this year are related to each other or connected to the outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico. The risk of measles to New Yorkers from these outbreaks is low.
After travel, individuals should watch for symptoms for three weeks upon return and avoid contact with others who are sick. Symptoms for measles can include the following:
- High fever (may spike to more than 104° F)
- Cough
- Runny nose (coryza)
- Red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis or pink eye)
- Rash (3-5 days after symptoms begin)
Measles is a highly contagious, serious respiratory disease that causes rash and fever. Measles is caused by a virus that is spread by coughing or sneezing into the air. Individuals can catch the disease by breathing in the virus or by touching a contaminated surface, then touching the eyes, nose, or mouth.
A person with measles can pass it to others as soon as four days before a rash appears and as late as four days after the rash appears.
Around 90 percent of people who are nearby a person with measles will become infected if they are not vaccinated.
Serious complications of measles include hospitalization, pneumonia, brain swelling and death. Long-term serious complications can also include subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, a brain disease resulting from an earlier measles infection that can lead to permanent brain damage. In some cases, measles can reduce the immune system’s ability to fight other infections like pneumonia.
Measles during pregnancy increases the risk of early labor, miscarriage and low birth weight infants.
The incubation period for measles is up to 21 days. People who are exposed to measles should quarantine 21 days after exposure and those who test positive should isolate until four days after the rash appears.
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