Health Officials Urge Residents: Be Prepared for Measles

Local health officials are monitoring the ongoing measles outbreaks in the United States closely, and preparing for the chance that measles could make its way into Montana and Lewis and Clark County.

“Starting this week, we will be sharing regular public service announcements with information about all things measles,” says Shelly Maag, LCPH Public Health Nurse Supervisor. “We have also created a webpage with an extensive fact sheet of questions and answers for concerned residents to read and reference.”

Measles is the single most contagious infection in human history. If one person has it, up to 9 out of 10 people nearby will become infected if they are not protected. The disease is so contagious that an unvaccinated person can get it just by being in a room that an infected person walked through 2 hours prior.

Measles is not just a little rash and fever that clears up in a few days. 25% of people who get measles are hospitalized, 20% will get pneumonia, and between 1-3 out of every 1,000 will die. Another 1 out of every 1,000 people infected with measles will experience inflammation of the brain, and 20% of those with brain inflammation, who survive, will have long-term brain damage and disabilities because of it.

As of March 20, 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports a total of 378 confirmed measles cases across 18 states so far this year. 95% of the cases were unvaccinated, and 90% (341 of 378) are associated with the ongoing outbreaks in western Texas and eastern New Mexico. 33% (124) of the confirmed cases were children 5 years or younger, and 27% of those children had to be hospitalized. Tragically, it was reported on February 26, 2025, that an unvaccinated 6-year-old girl in Texas has died from measles – the first measles-related death reported in the United States in over a decade.

Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York City, New York State, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington have reported isolated measles cases, typically linked to international travel.

According to the Montana Department of Health and Human Services, Montana has not seen a single case of measles since 1990. As of the date of this press release, this accomplishment still holds true. Lewis and Clark Public Health (LCPH) will notify residents immediately if a case of measles in Montana or our county is reported.

“Rest assured,” says Maag, “we know what this disease is, and most importantly, how to prevent it with safe and effective vaccines. The time for action is now. Together, we can protect ourselves, our families, and our neighbors.”

Babies under the age of one, and children under the age of five, are particularly vulnerable to more series complications from a measles infection. This is because, while children are routinely vaccinated against measles– unless it’s medically unadvisable or the family declares a religious exemption -- they are not vaccinated until they are 1 year old, and then again before they start kindergarten to reach full protection.

Before the measles vaccine was introduced in 1963, an estimated 3-4 million Americans were infected each year with measles, resulting in about 48,000 hospitalizations and 400–500 deaths annually. Thanks to the highly effective vaccination program in the United States, by 1981, the number of reported measles cases was 80% less compared with the previous year. By the year 2000, measles was triumphantly declared eliminated in the U.S.

“What’s sad about these outbreaks is that measles is preventable,” says Maag. “The vaccine has proven to be very safe and effective. Two doses of MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) are about 97 percent effective.”

Maag adds, “A vaccine, like any medicine, is capable of causing serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions, but the risk of an MMR vaccine causing serious harm, or death, is extremely small. Getting the MMR vaccine is much safer than getting measles. Most people who get the MMR vaccine do not have any problems with it.”

Extremely rarely, a person may have a serious allergic reaction to MMR vaccine. Anyone who has ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to the antibiotic neomycin, or any other component of MMR vaccine, should not get the vaccine. If you are worried or unsure of a possible reaction, speak with your doctor directly.

LCPH is committed to helping parents understand that the MMR vaccine is very safe, and highly effective. We provided a table below that summarizes information from the CDC to serve as a more accessible reference to the facts about the safety of the MMR vaccine and risks of measles infection.

LCPH staff will be meeting with school officials to talk about how they’ll work together to identify and respond to even a single suspected case of measles. Fact sheets are also being sent to all daycares in Lewis and Clark County.

Maag urges people who haven’t been fully vaccinated or aren’t sure whether they’re immune to visit their patient portal or contact their medical provider.

“Anyone who got the two doses of MMR as a child is considered immune for life,” Maag said, “though they’ll want to have a physical record or confirmation from their healthcare provider; not simply word of mouth or guess work.”

People who were vaccinated prior to 1968 with either inactivated (killed) measles vaccine or measles vaccine of unknown type should be revaccinated with at least one dose of live attenuated measles vaccine. This recommendation is intended to protect those who may have received an inactivated measles vaccine, which was available in 1963-1967 and was not effective.

With the exception of healthcare personnel, people born before 1957 don’t need to be vaccinated because they were most likely exposed and developed immunity as children, when the infectious disease was more common.

“If you think you or someone in your family might have measles, whatever you do, don’t race into the emergency room or urgent care,” Maag said. “Call your doctor first so they can discuss your symptoms and your travel history and figure out how to see you in a way that doesn’t infect other people. The last thing you want to do is infect a whole emergency room full of sick and injured people.”

Again, Maag recommends concerned citizens visit the LCPH website for an extensive list of questions and answers regarding the measles virus: 2025 Measles Outbreak Information - Lewis & Clark County.