Pharm Report Issue No. 22

Issue XXII (April 2026)

Measles Cases are on the Rise Nationwide

As of April 2, the CDC reports that there have been 1671 confirmed measles cases in the first quarter of 2026. (For comparison, there were 2,286 measles cases for all of 2025). So far, 32 states reported measles cases in 2026, including Wisconsin.

Until recently, measles was a rare occurrence in the United States owing to widespread vaccination. Many providers practicing today have not seen a case of measles in their clinic. Measles prodrome symptoms typically appear within 10-12 days of exposure, but can be seen up to 21 days after. These include high-grade fever, malaise, cough, conjunctivitis, and a runny nose. Approximately 14 days after exposure a rash that starts at the hairline and moves to the extremities will appear. Patients are considered contagious 4 days before rash onset and for 4 days after (with day of onset counted as day 0) for a total of 9 days. Wisconsin DHS has this guidance for measles.

For health care providers that suspect a case of measles, it should be reported immediately by telephone to your local health department and the case should be submitted online through the Wisconsin Electronic Disease Surveillance System (WEDSS). For after hours, weekends, and holidays, you can contact the DHS epidemiologist on call at 800-943-0003 option 4.

You may be getting questions from your patients about measles vaccination. For children MMR is routinely given as a 2-dose series with the first dose at age 12 to 15 months and the second dose at age 4 to 6 years. In Wisconsin, MMR vaccination is required for school entry.

For adults, routine vaccination for MMR is recommended for everyone born in 1957 or later. People born in 1956 or earlier are considered immune to measles because they were likely exposed to the circulating virus before vaccination was introduced. Most adults need just one dose, but there are some people that need 2 doses, such as healthcare workers, international travelers, college students, and people in close personal contacts with immunocompromised people. MMR is a live vaccine and is contraindicated in patients who are pregnant and severely immunocompromised. Wisconsin DHS has this poster for your clinic to help determine if a patient is up to date on their MMR vaccines.

The Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR) is a resource for patients and providers to access vaccination records. If a patient is not sure if they were vaccinated or does not have documentation of vaccination, administer the appropriate number of doses of vaccine. Immunize.org has clinical resources for you and your staff to help promote MMR vaccination in your clinic.

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