A 3-year-old child exposed to measles at a birthday party within the last 2 days. What is the best course of action?

A 3-year-old child exposed to measles at a birthday party within the last 2 days. What is the best course of action?

• A. Administer the MMR vaccine to help prevent disease.
• B. Give antiviral medications at the first sign of symptoms.
• C. Give the child a dose of immune globulin to mitigate the response.
• D. Reassure the parent that most exposed children will not get measles.

Answer: (A)

When someone is exposed to measles, the goal is to stop the disease from developing by giving protection quickly. The measles vaccine (MMR) can be used as post-exposure prophylaxis if given within about 72 hours of exposure. In a healthy 3-year-old who may not have immunity, administering the MMR vaccine within the first two days after exposure is the best way to prevent illness or lessen its impact. Antiviral medications aren’t used to treat measles in routine practice, so they aren’t the right choice here. Immune globulin is reserved for those at high risk or who cannot receive vaccines (for example, very young infants, pregnant women, or immunocompromised individuals) and isn’t needed for a healthy preschooler with potential vaccine protection. Simply reassuring the parent that most exposed children won’t get measles isn’t appropriate, since protection is possible and recommended when the exposure is within the window. So the best course is to give the MMR vaccine promptly.

When someone is exposed to measles, the goal is to stop the disease from developing by giving protection quickly. The measles vaccine (MMR) can be used as post-exposure prophylaxis if given within about 72 hours of exposure. In a healthy 3-year-old who may not have immunity, administering the MMR vaccine within the first two days after exposure is the best way to prevent illness or lessen its impact.

Antiviral medications aren’t used to treat measles in routine practice, so they aren’t the right choice here. Immune globulin is reserved for those at high risk or who cannot receive vaccines (for example, very young infants, pregnant women, or immunocompromised individuals) and isn’t needed for a healthy preschooler with potential vaccine protection. Simply reassuring the parent that most exposed children won’t get measles isn’t appropriate, since protection is possible and recommended when the exposure is within the window. So the best course is to give the MMR vaccine promptly.