Key facts
- US measles cases have doubled compared to last year.
- Parents are opting for earlier second MMR vaccine doses.
- The second MMR dose can be given as soon as four weeks after the first.
- Germany recommends the second MMR dose four weeks after the first.
- The CDC recommends the first MMR shot after age one and the second between ages four and six, but offers the second dose as an option earlier.
Amid a doubling of measles cases compared to last year, US parents are increasingly opting for earlier vaccinations, including the second dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. This accelerated schedule, which can be administered as soon as four weeks after the first dose, is also recommended in countries like Germany, the UK, and France, and is an option according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Physicians like Elias Kass in Seattle have been recommending earlier MMRV shots for a few years, a trend that is now being adopted by more parents concerned about the current outbreak. Margot Taylor, a mother of three in Chicago, has adjusted her children's vaccination timelines due to the rising cases, noting that her youngest received her second MMR shot only three months after her first.