Today the FDA approved Priorix for the prevention of measles, mumps and rubella in individuals 12 months of age and older. Measles is an acute viral respiratory illness that is characterized by a prodrome of fever, malaise, cough, coryza, and conjunctivitis, and pathognomonic enanthema (Koplik spots) followed in 1- 2 days by a maculopapular rash. Signs and symptoms usually appear 7-14 days after exposure to the virus. Humans are the only natural hosts of the measles virus which is a single-stranded RNA virus of the genus Morbillivirus and the family Paramyxoviridae.

Due to heavy vaccination campaigns, measles was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000.  Since then, the annual number of cases has ranged from a 37 in 2004 to 1,282 in 2019. The majority of cases in the US have been among people who are not vaccinated against measles. These outbreaks have been travel related with someone being exposed in a foreign country and bring the virus to the US. These measles importations have come countries, including, but not limited to, the Philippines, Ukraine, Israel, Thailand, Vietnam, England, France, Germany, and India, where large outbreaks were reported.

There is no specific antiviral therapy for measles. Medical care is supportive and to help relieve symptoms and address complications such as bacterial infections.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends routine childhood immunization for MMR vaccine starting with the first dose at 12 through 15 months of age, and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age or at least 28 days following the first dose. The measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV) vaccine is also available to children 12 months through 12 years of age; the minimum interval between doses is three months.

Students at post-high school educational institutions without evidence of measles immunity need two doses of the MMR vaccine, with the second dose administered no earlier than 28 days after the first dose.

Adults who are born during or after 1957 who do not have evidence of immunity against measles should get at least one dose of the MMR vaccine.

More information about the measles may be found here.

More information about the approval of Priorix may be found here.