Prevention of Measles

Prevention of measles can be done with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. This can be given to children at 12 to 15 months of age.

A second dosage of MMR is generally given when a child reaches between 4 to 6 years of age. However, the vaccine should be given no later than 11 to 12 years of age.

The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is for the prevention of measles, mumps, and rubella.  It is safe to give these three vaccines together.
 
MMR is an attenuated (weakened) live virus vaccine. It is because of this that after the child has been injected, the viruses grow and cause a harmless infection in the vaccinated child with very few, if any symptoms.  The child’s immune system then fights the infection caused by these weakened viruses and immunity develops which will then last throughout the child’s life.

A little more than 95% of most people who receive a single dose of MMR will develop immunity to all three viruses.  A second dose of the MMR vaccine gives immunity to almost all of those who did not respond to the first dose

Just by suffering measles alone confers a lifelong immunity. The disease can actually be eradicated if enough people in the world take this vaccine.

It is therefore concluded that an effective prevention of measles is through vaccination.