Key facts
- Measles is a highly contagious, serious airborne disease caused by a virus that can lead to severe complications and death.
- Measles vaccination averted nearly 59 million deaths between 2000 and 2024.
- Even though a safe and cost-effective vaccine is available, in 2024, there were an estimated 95 000 measles deaths globally, mostly among unvaccinated or under vaccinated children under the age of 5 years.
- The proportion of children receiving a first dose of measles vaccine was 84% in 2025, slightly below the 2019 level of 86%.
Overview
Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus. It spreads easily when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. It can cause severe disease, complications, and even death
Measles can affect anyone but is most common in children
Measles infects the respiratory tract and then spreads throughout the body. Symptoms include a high fever, cough, runny nose and a rash all over the body
Being vaccinated is the best way to prevent getting sick with measles or spreading it to other people. The vaccine is safe and helps your body fight off the virus
Before the introduction of measles vaccine in 1963 and widespread vaccination, major epidemics occurred approximately every two to three years and caused an estimated 2.6 million deaths each year
An estimated 95 000 people died from measles in 2024 – mostly children under the age of five years, despite the availability of a safe and cost-effective vaccine
Accelerated immunization activities by countries, WHO, the Measles & Rubella Partnership, and other international partners successfully prevented an estimated 59 million deaths between 2000 and 2024. Vaccination decreased an estimated measles deaths from 780 000 in 2000 to 95 000 in 2024 (1)
Signs and symptoms
Symptoms of measles usually begin 7–14 days after exposure to the virus. A prominent rash is the most visible symptom
Early symptoms usually last 4–7 days. They include:
- fever
- running nose
- cough
- red and watery eyes
- small white spots inside the cheeks.
The rash appears 3 to 5 days after the first symptoms, usually on the face and upper neck. It spreads over about 3 days, eventually downward to the trunk, arms, legs and feet. It usually lasts 4–8 days before fading
Most deaths from measles are from complications related to the disease
- blindness
- encephalitis (an infection causing brain swelling and potentially brain damage)
- severe diarrhoea and related dehydration
- ear infections
- severe breathing problems including pneumonia.
If a woman catches measles during pregnancy, this can be dangerous for the mother and can result in miscarriage or her baby being born prematurely with a low birth weight
Complications are most common in children under 5 years and adults over age 30. They are more likely in children who are malnourished, especially those without enough vitamin A or with a weak immune system from HIV or other diseases. Measles itself also weakens the immune system and can make the body “forget” how to protect itself against infections, leaving children extremely vulnerable
Who is at risk?
Any non-immune person (not vaccinated or vaccinated but did not develop immunity) can become infected. Unvaccinated young children and pregnant persons are at highest risk of severe measles complications
Measles is still common, particularly in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The overwhelming majority of measles deaths occur in countries with low per capita incomes or weak health infrastructures that struggle to reach all children with immunization
Damaged health infrastructure and health services in countries experiencing or recovering from a natural disaster or conflict interrupt routine immunization and overcrowding in residential camps increases the risk of infection. Children with malnutrition or other causes of a weak immune system are at highest risk of death from measles
Transmission
Measles is one of the world’s most contagious diseases, spread by contact with infected nasal or throat secretions (coughing or sneezing) or breathing the air that was breathed by someone with measles. The virus remains active and contagious in the air or on infected surfaces for up to two hours. For this reason, it is very infectious. One person infected by measles can generate up to 18 secondary infections
It can be transmitted by an infected person from four days prior to the onset of the rash to four days after the rash erupts
Measles outbreaks can result in severe complications and deaths, especially among young, malnourished children. In countries close to measles elimination, cases imported from other countries remain an important
Treatment
There is no specific treatment for measles. Caregiving should focus on relieving symptoms, making the person comfortable and preventing complications.
Drinking enough water and treatments for dehydration can replace fluids lost to diarrhoea or vomiting. Eating a healthy diet is also important
Doctors may use antibiotics to treat pneumonia and ear and eye infections
Two doses of vitamin A are recommended for all suspected measles cases in children under 5 years of age, immediately on diagnosis and repeated the next day, according to the dosing indicated by the health practitioner. A third dose is recommended for any clinical signs of vitamin A deficiency with eye complications and should be given 4–6 weeks later. This restores low levels of vitamin A that occur even in well-nourished children. It can help prevent other complications from measles, including eye damage and blindness. Vitamin A supplements may also reduce the number of measles deaths.
Prevention
Community-wide vaccination is the most effective way to prevent measles. All children should be vaccinated against measles. The vaccine is safe, effective and inexpensive
Children should receive two doses of the vaccine to ensure they are immune. The first dose is usually given at 9 months of age in countries where measles is common and 12–15 months in other countries. A second dose should be given later in childhood, usually at 15–18 months
The measles vaccine is given alone or often combined with vaccines for mumps, rubella and/or varicella
Routine measles vaccination, combined with mass immunization campaigns in countries with high case rates are crucial for reducing global measles deaths. The measles vaccine has been in use for about 60 years and costs less than US$ 1 per child. The measles vaccine is also used in emergencies to stop outbreaks from spreading. The risk of measles outbreaks is particularly high amongst refugees, who should be vaccinated as soon as possible
Combining vaccines slightly increases the cost but allows for shared delivery and administration costs and importantly, adds the benefit of protection against rubella, the most common vaccine preventable infection that can infect babies in the womb
In 2025, 77% of children received both doses of the measles vaccine, and about 84% of the world’s children received one dose of measles vaccine by their first birthday. Two doses of the vaccine are recommended to ensure immunity and prevent outbreaks, as not all children develop immunity from the first dose
Approximately 29 million infants remained under-protected against measles in 2025
WHO response
In 2020, WHO and global stakeholders endorsed the Immunization Agenda 2021–2030. The Agenda aims to achieve the regional targets as a core indicator of impact, positioning measles as a tracer of a health system’s ability to deliver essential childhood vaccines
WHO published the Measles and rubella strategic framework in 2020, establishing seven necessary strategic priorities to achieve and sustain the regional measles and rubella elimination goals
Without sustained attention, hard-fought gains can easily be lost. Where children are unvaccinated, outbreaks occur. Based on current trends of measles vaccination coverage and incidence, the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) concluded that measles elimination is under threat, as the disease resurged in numerous countries that achieved, or were close to achieving, elimination
WHO continues to strengthen the Global Measles and Rubella Laboratory Network (GMRLN) to ensure timely diagnosis of measles and track the virus’ spread to assist countries in coordinating targeted vaccination activities and reduce deaths from this vaccine-preventable disease
The IA2030 Measles & Rubella Partnership
The Immunization Agenda 2030 Measles & Rubella Partnership (M&RP) is a partnership led by the American Red Cross, United Nations Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Gavi, the Vaccines Alliance, the Gates Foundation, UNICEF and WHO, to achieve the IA2030 measles and rubella specific targets. Launched in 2001, as the Measles and Rubella Initiative, the revitalized Partnership is committed to ensuring no child dies from measles or is born with congenital rubella syndrome. The Partnership helps countries plan, fund and measure efforts to permanently stop measles and rubella
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