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Measles are back. Here's what you need to know. 

Nearly 150 people have been infected with measles in Texas and New Mexico, and last week Texas health officials confirmed the first death in the ongoing outbreak: an unvaccinated child. Over the weekend, a case was reported in Pennsylvania. While almost all of the infected people are believed to be unvaccinated, five told the Texas health department they have received at least one measles shot.

The United States declared measles eradicated in 2000 because the disease was no longer spreading locally; most cases in the following years were linked to travel to countries where the virus was still prevalent. 

But in recent years, outbreaks of the disease have been growing as more people across the country opt not to vaccinate. Because measles vaccination rates have been declining, we now live in a world where it’s increasingly possible that you might see a measles outbreak in your community. 

The recent reports of cases even among vaccinated people have added another layer of anxiety to the crisis. More than 90 percent of Americans got their measles shot as a kid. Exactly how reliable is that protection, given this news?

First of all, there is no need to panic. 

It is not clear whether the five people who contracted measles were vaccinated as children. And though breakthrough cases can happen, the risk today remains very low — only about three in 100 people who receive two vaccine doses get sick when exposed. 

Aaron Milstone, an infectious disease pediatrician at Johns Hopkins, told me you don’t really have anything to worry about right now if you don’t live in west Texas or eastern New Mexico.

But if you do live in those areas or you’re not sure of your vaccine status or you simply want to be proactive about your health, there are some things you can easily do to check on your measles immunity. 

First check your vaccination records, if you can find them. If you did receive two doses, you almost certainly had an immune response. If you received one dose, you probably did too, but it is a bit more likely that measles immunity never took, Milstone said. For those in this group, considering a measles booster is reasonable.

Either way, the next step if you want to investigate further would be to talk to your doctor (as always, with anything regarding your health). They can administer a “titer test” that measures the measles antibodies in your body. If they’re still present — great, you’re protected. If they’re not, you can talk to your doctor about getting an additional measles shot.

This is a new era for public health. Milstone said he and his fellow infectious disease doctors could not believe it when they heard the news of a child’s death from measles in the United States of America. 

It remains entirely preventable by getting vaccinated. With the death of a child last week, the stakes are unfortunately all too clear.

“You hope people don’t have to die for others to take this seriously,” Milstone said.

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