Simplified: With confirmed measles cases in North Dakota, it's likely that we'll see this previously eradicated disease showing up in South Dakota, according to Dr. Margo Free, a pediatric infectious physician with Sanford Health. Here's what you need to know to avoid this highly contagious virus.

Why it matters

  • Measles was declared eradicated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2000, but vaccine rates have dropped below 90% in South Dakota, putting more folks at risk of contracting the virus. Ideally, the community would have a vaccine rate at 95%, Free said.
  • One of the challenges with measles is that initial symptoms present very similarly to other common viruses with fever, cough and runny nose, but measles can have significant impacts including brain inflammation, pneumonia, severe dehydration and even death.
  • The best way to protect yourself against measles is to ensure that you're vaccinated, Free said. Most people receive both doses of the vaccine by age 6, but infants under 12 months are unable to get vaccinated, putting them most at-risk.
"If everyone who was eligible had taken (the vaccine), then these children would not be in this precarious position, and this is the worst part of this measles outbreak is that these babies are unprotected and left with not great options for how to protect them," Free said.

Tell me more

Measles is highly contagious, which means folks who aren't vaccinated are extremely likely to contract the virus if they're exposed.

  • Free gave the example of a room full of 10 unvaccinated people who are exposed to someone with measles.
"Nine of 10 will get measles," Free said. "It's so infectious and contagious."

Is getting measles really that bad?

It can be, yes.

Getting measles can damage your immune system, and even a decade after the initial infection it can lead to encephalitis (brain inflammation).

  • The CDC states that three children have died from measles so far in 2025. The death rate is between 1 and 3 in 1,000.
"Otherwise healthy children can die from a measles infection," Free said. "These are scary complications of measles that are completely avoidable."

I'm concerned about vaccines – is there anything else I can do to not get measles?

Not really, no. If you're unvaccinated and exposed to measles, the odds that you'll get the virus are pretty high.

Free said the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from measles is making sure you and everyone in your family have received vaccinations.

  • The CDC notes that most people who receive the vaccine have no side effects, and getting the vaccine is much safer than getting measles.

I'm not sure if I got vaccinated as a kid. What should I do?

If you're unable to locate your vaccine records (or unable to ask your folks if they vaccinated you as a kid), you can call your primary care provider to ask their advice.

  • It's possible you could get a blood test to see if you've been vaccinated. If you weren't for whatever reason, the vaccine is safe to receive as an adult, Free said.

There are exceptions to who can receive the vaccine, she added. People who are pregnant should not receive the vaccine, and immunocompromised folks should ask their doctor.

I think I may have been exposed to someone with measles or that I might have measles. What should I do?

Call your doctor.

"Because measles is so contagious, they'll probably ask you to wait in your car until you can be seen," Free said.