What’s behind CDC’s latest measles warning to international travelers

By Pune Media On Jun 5, 2025

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging all people traveling internationally to be fully vaccinated against the measles.

As the summer travel season kicks into full gear, measles outbreaks in the U.S. and other countries have the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updating its guidance to travelers.

The agency is urging all people traveling internationally to be fully vaccinated against the virus.

Emily Smith, assistant professor in the Department of Global Studies at George Washington University, said the first problem is sustained transmission happening in the U.S., but the second issue is similar situations in other countries, such as Indonesia, Thailand and India.

“So now we’re kind of having risk in multiple ways, in multiple places,” Smith said.

Smith said some of places seeing the biggest outbreaks include Yemen, Pakistan and Afghanistan, but due to instability in those countries, she said those areas are not seeing many visitors.

Smith said parts of Europe are also seeing outbreaks, which she said, similar to the U.S., are due to declining vaccination rates during the pandemic, a rise in vaccine hesitancy and changes in school requirements regarding the vaccine.

“Vaccine coverage is reaching this threshold where it’s just low enough that it’s allowing measles to start to circulate,” Smith said.

She said the U.S. is among the world’s hot spots, with what she called an unprecedented and widespread outbreak leading to sustained transmission.

“It used to be in years past, maybe there was a case here,” Smith said. “Someone traveled somewhere, picked up an infection.”

Smith said vaccinations are the only way to prevent a person from getting the measles. Adults who were vaccinated as a child should be protected.

“If you have younger kids that haven’t been vaccinated yet, or haven’t gotten fully vaccinated, maybe they’ve only had one dose, it would be important to get them vaccinated or get them up to date before you travel, at least a few weeks before you leave,” Smith said.

Also, people with weakened immune systems should consult their doctor before travel.

For those who don’t know if they’ve been vaccinated, there is a test that can answer that question.

If you are not vaccinated and catch measles, or are exposed to measles, you should contact your doctor right away, she said.

“You also have the chance to get what we call post-exposure prophylaxis or something to support your immune response to measles in the case that you were exposed,” Smith said.

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