As of June 25, 2025, the CDC has reported a total of 1,227 confirmed cases of measles across 35 states in the U.S. Of those individuals, 95% were unvaccinated or their vaccine status was unknown, and in terms of age, around 66% of those confirmed cases are under the age of 19.
The rising number of measles cases in 2025 has caused a stir of anxiety and hesitation amongst some parents, leaving them with more questions than answers — both regarding the measles virus and the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine used to prevent it.
“Do we really need to even be concerned about measles affecting our children in the U.S.?”
“Is the vaccine even safe or necessary for my children?”
“Can the MMR vaccine give my child autism or cause a side effect worse than measles?”
These are just some of the questions bubbling up amongst parents hesitant to give their children the MMR vaccine right now. As a pediatric infectious disease specialist in Chicago, Dr. Marielle Fricchione, MD, discusses these questions and concerns with parents on a daily basis.
Now, in partnership with the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Fricchione is sharing questions from some of her most hesitant patients and the answers that helped assure them that measles is something to be concerned about, and that the vaccine is crucial to fight against the virus.
‘I grew up in Romania, and everyone I knew got measles, including myself, and we were all fine. Why is the U.S. so upset about a few measles cases?’
This question led to the bigger-picture question, “Why is it so important to get a measles vaccine?” To demonstrate the importance of the MMR vaccine, Dr. Fricchione highlights several stats related to the measles virus, including:
- 1 in 100,000 cases will get something called Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), which happens almost 10 years after the infection and can cause developmental delays.
- 1 in 1,000 cases will get encephalitis, or swelling of the brain, during the infection itself.
- 1-3 in 1,000 cases will die. This number should be alarming because the U.S. has seen over 1,000 cases with 3 deaths reported, showing this stat in real time.
- 1 in 20 cases will get pneumonia.
- 1 in 10 cases will get ear infections.
- 1 in 5 cases will be hospitalized.
‘My child had a serious reaction to the MMR vaccine. How can you be a doctor and tell other people to get something that will hurt them?’
“This is a hard question to read and to get as a doctor who cares for children, and this is something I’ve talked to several parents about in my time both at the health department and the hospital,” Dr. Fricchione explains.
During these emotional conversations with parents, Dr. Fricchione acknowledges their belief that their child was harmed by the vaccine. As a parent of three herself, she understands when something happens to your child, you seek for answers as to why.
“They certainly believe that’s the case if they’re telling you about it,” she explains.
However, as an expert in studying vaccines, Dr. Fricchione highlights that the U.S.’s vaccine safety monitoring system is extremely sensitive to picking up bad side effects to vaccines. This includes both pre-clinical approval monitoring and post-approval monitoring of the vaccine, which helps to see what’s actually happening with children before and after the vaccine.
Aside from routine side effects like fevers, muscle aches and pain where the vaccine was given — as with nearly any vaccine — this monitoring has not revealed any serious side effects to the vaccine for children.
‘Will measles cause the next pandemic or lockdown?’
“What I hear when I hear that question is fear and anxiety — which I remember all too well from the COVID pandemic,” Dr. Fricchione says. “I had two kids at the time and two or so years into it, I had my third, and she’s only 3 right now. I remember all these feelings and whenever anybody brings it up, I immediately feel this sense of anxiety rising in my chest.”
But she highlights that this situation is different from the COVID pandemic in some ways, starting with the difference between a pandemic and an endemic.
A pandemic refers to a new virus that’s being transmitted across the world, whereas an endemic refers to a virus being transmitted between people in just one country.
A virus is considered an epidemic when there is sudden rapid growth — which is where the U.S. currently sits.
“This is very unusual for a country like the U.S. with such a good vaccine infrastructure and such a good safety monitoring system,” Dr. Fricchione explains. “Before vaccines, these epidemics happened every 2-3 years, and if we don’t get on top of these measles outbreaks now, that’s going to start happening to us again.”
How contagious are measles?
“If measles hits your community, you can be sure your life is going to change,” she adds. “It feels to me almost like a pandemic, even though it’s not. A measles outbreak actually feels less safe than it felt before.”
Measles is very contagious, staying in the air up to two hours after leaving a room, and the virus can be transmitted four days before the identifying rash appears. This means you could be spreading measles without even knowing it — similar to COVID.
And though the outbreak hasn’t hit Chicago, as a hub for travel, there could be someone infected with measles coming through the city.
This leads to parents asking continuous questions in their mind like “Can my kid go to skateboard class or a birthday party?” or “Am I going to put them at risk by sending them to school knowing that some kids are not vaccinated at school?”
“There’s a lot of issues buried in these questions, and I hope that you know that I empathize because I’m feeling the same thing too. I have an appointment later this month [to vaccinate my 3-year-old early] so that I have the peace of mind that I did everything that I could to protect her,” Dr. Fricchione says. “And if something happens after that, I know that I did my best, and that’s how I want you all to think about it too.”
Measles and summer travel
With summer travel in full swing, Dr. Fricchione recommends that if your child is 6-11 months old and you’re traveling out of the country, they should get an early first MMR dose. Those traveling inside the U.S. to a state with a measles outbreak should talk to their doctor about an early second dose of the MMR vaccine — which can be administered as early as one month after the first dose.
“All parents think about risk differently, but we are starting to see more cases of measles in people just passing through places with outbreaks,” Dr. Fricchione says. “As a parent I often feel guilty if we don’t attend a family party or give my kid a cool experience over the summer, but remember that you always have the choice not to travel. Your friends and family will understand.”
For additional information regarding measles and how to protect your family, visit healthychildren.org.
