If you are not vaccinated against measles, you will most likely catch it if you are exposed. For The New York Times, Emily Baumgaertner Nunn and Marco Hernandez illustrate how measles can lead to infection in the lungs and inflammation in the brain of children, who are smaller and more susceptible.
“A lot of families have kind of been surprised, like, ‘Oh, my child was fine, and then all of a sudden, they’re not,’ ” she said.
That mild disease evolves into a fever as high as 104 or 105 degrees for two, three or four days. Poor fluid intake, a sore throat and diarrhea can lead to dehydration, which over time can begin to threaten kidney function.
As of April 10, there have been 693 confirmed cases in the United States, in 2025.
