I've been exposed to someone who has measles. What should I do?
Immediately call your healthcare provider and local health department to let them know that you have been exposed to someone who has measles. Erie County residents should call the Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) Office of Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance at (716) 858-7697.
Your healthcare provider can:
- determine if you are immune to measles based on your vaccination record, age, or laboratory evidence.
- make special arrangements to evaluate you, if needed, without putting other patients and medical office staff at risk.
Please also review the following sections for further instructions as applicable to your situation:
- Instructions for people exposed to measles who are not immune and did not get treatment after exposure
- Instructions for people exposed to measles who are not immune and received immune globulin
- Instructions for people exposed to measles who are immune
Click here for PDF versions of these instructions.
Instructions for People Exposed to Measles Who Are NOT Immune and Did Not Get Treatment After Exposure
You were exposed to someone who has measles. Because you are not immune and did not get a measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine within 72 hours of the exposure, you may get sick and spread it to other people.
What you need to know:
- Measles is a very contagious virus. It spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
- Symptoms usually start 7 to 21 days after being exposed. They can include fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes, and then a rash that spreads all over the body.
- A person with measles can spread it to others from 4 days before the rash begins through 4 days after the rash begins. The day the rash starts is day 0.
- Measles can cause other health problems. They include ear infection, diarrhea, pneumonia, pregnancy loss, brain swelling and hospitalization. Measles can even cause death.
What you should do:
- Watch your health and stay home, away from others, for 21 days after your last exposure.
- Especially stay away from unvaccinated infants, pregnant people, and people with weak immune systems.
- If you develop a fever or symptoms you need to:
- Stay home and do not go to work, school or public places until your doctor says it is safe.
- If you need to see a doctor, call before you go so the office can prepare and protect others.
- Call your doctor and local health department to tell them that you were exposed to measles and feel sick. Erie County residents should call the Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) Office of Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance at (716) 858-7697.
- Talk to your doctor about getting the MMR vaccine to prevent you from getting sick in the future.
If you have questions about this information, please contact your healthcare provider or the ECDOH Office of Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance, at (716) 858-7697.
Click here to download these instructions.
Instructions for People Exposed to Measles Who Are Not Immune and Received Immune Globulin
You were exposed to someone who has measles. You received immune globulin to protect you from getting measles. This medicine lowers your chance of getting sick. However, there is still a chance you can get measles. If you do get measles, your symptoms will probably be less severe, but you could make someone else sick.
What you need to know about measles:
- Measles is a very contagious virus. It spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
- Symptoms usually start 7 to 21 days after being exposed. They can include fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes, and then a rash that spreads all over the body.
- A person with measles can spread it to others from 4 days before the rash begins through 4 days after the rash begins. The day the rash starts is day 0.
- Measles can cause other health problems. They include ear infection, diarrhea, pneumonia, pregnancy loss, brain swelling and hospitalization. Measles can even cause death.
What you need to know about immune globulin:
- It is a medicine that helps the body fight infections like measles. It is given to people who may get especially sick from measles.
- Immune globulin works best within 6 days of being exposed. It lowers your chance of getting sick, but you can still get measles and spread it to others. People can spread measles to others before the rash begins.
- If you do get measles, the immune globulin may make your symptoms less severe.
- Immune globulin can slow down the time it takes to get measles. There is a chance that symptoms could start up to 28 days after you were exposed.
What you should do:
- Watch your health for measles symptoms and stay home, away from others, for 28 days after your last exposure.
- Especially stay away from unvaccinated infants, pregnant people, and people with weak immune systems.
- If you develop a fever or symptoms you need to:
- Stay home and do not go to work, school or public places until your doctor says it is safe.
- If you need to see a doctor, call before you go so the office can prepare and protect others.
- Call your doctor and local health department to tell them that you were exposed to measles and feel sick. Erie County residents should call the Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) Office of Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance at (716) 858-7697.
- Tell your provider you received immune globulin, including the date and type you received (intramuscular or intravenous).
If you have questions about this information, please contact your healthcare provider or the ECDOH Office of Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance, at (716) 858-7697.
Click here to download these instructions.
Instructions for People Exposed to Measles Who Are Immune
You were exposed to someone who has measles. Because you have evidence of immunity to measles, you are probably protected against measles. However, there is a chance that you may still get sick. If you do get measles, your symptoms will probably be less severe, but you could make someone else sick.
What you need to know:
- Measles is a very contagious virus. It spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
- Symptoms usually start 7 to 21 days after being exposed. They can include fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes, and then a rash that spreads all over the body.
- A person with measles can spread it to others from 4 days before the rash begins through 4 days after the rash begins. The day the rash starts is day 0.
- Measles can cause other health problems. They include ear infection, diarrhea, pneumonia, pregnancy loss, brain swelling and hospitalization. Measles can even cause death.
What you should do:
- Watch your health for measles symptoms for 21 days after your last exposure.
- You may continue to go to school, work and/or other regular activities unless you get sick with measles symptoms as described above.
- If you do develop a fever or symptoms you need to:
- Stay home and do not go to work, school or public places until your doctor says it is safe.
- Especially stay away from unvaccinated infants, pregnant people, and people with weak immune systems.
- If you need to see a doctor, call before you go so the office can prepare and protect others.
- Call your doctor and local health department to tell them that you were exposed to measles and feel sick. Erie County residents should call the Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) Office of Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance at (716) 858-7697.
If you have questions about this information, please contact your healthcare provider or the ECDOH Office of Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance, at (716) 858-7697.
Click here to download these instructions.
More Resources
Erie County Department of Health Measles Information: Learn about the measles, transmission, symptoms and signs, treatment, and more.