Just 41% of eligible children received the MMR vaccine during pretravel consultation before traveling outside the United States during a recent 10-year period, mainly due to guardian refusal or clinician decision, according to study results published in JAMA Pediatrics.

“Children who travel internationally without measles immunity are at increased risk for being infected with measles, which can cause severe and even life-threatening illness, especially for very young children,” Emily P. Hyle, MD, MSc, of Massachusetts General Hospital’s division of infectious diseases, told Healio. “Imported measles cases also can provoke further outbreaks of measles within the United States, putting others at risk as well.”