16 Apr 2025 Encourage Measles Vaccination Before Travel
There is a growing number of measles cases in the United States. Most of these cases come from unvaccinated U.S. travelers who are infected with measles while traveling to other countries. Make sure your family and community know the risks of measles and how to protect their loved ones by vaccinating on time.
Did you know? Measles is the most contagious disease in the world. If 10 unvaccinated people are in a room with someone with measles, 9 will get infected.
Measles can cause fever, pink eye, runny nose, cough, diarrhea, and whole-body red or dark rash. It is most dangerous in young children. Measles can also cause serious brain swelling (inflammation) and pneumonia.
Vaccine Recommendations
The best way to protect against measles is through vaccination with MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine. Doctors recommend 2 doses of the MMR vaccine — the first dose at 12 months old and the second dose at 4 years old. But when traveling internationally or to areas in the United States with measles outbreaks, kids need to get vaccinated early. In the case of this kind of travel, kids as young as 6 months old should get their first dose early. Kids aged 1-3 years who have already had a first dose should get their second dose early.
When planning a trip internationally or to an area in the U.S. with a measles outbreak, plan in advance. Kids and adults should be vaccinated against measles at least 2 weeks before this type of travel.
If you or people in your community want more information about measles vaccination timing, speaking with a primary healthcare provider or pediatrician is a good first step. You can also learn more about the MMR vaccine on this webpage.
Where to Get a Free Measles Vaccine
Philadelphia residents can walk in to City Health Centers between Monday and Friday from 9am to 1pm to get a free MMR vaccine at:
- Health Center 3 – 555 S. 43rd St. | 215-685-7504
- Health Center 4 – 4400 Haverford Ave. | 215-685-7601
- Health Center 5 Annex – 2001 W. Berks St. | 215-685-2933
- Mattie L. Humphrey Health Center (Health Center 9) – 131 E. Chelten Ave. | 215-685-5701
- Strawberry Mansion Health Center – 2840 W. Dauphin St. | 215-685-2401
No insurance? No problem. These clinics provide free vaccines for everyone.
Kids can also get vaccinated at their pediatrician’s office or a retail pharmacy (call the pharmacy for age requirements).
Free Print Materials
Below, you can order some free educational materials to encourage parents and guardians in your community to vaccinate their children. These resources are available in 11 languages and we’ll deliver them to you!
Learn more about measles in this post. Use the toggle on the top right of the page to adjust your language preferences.