• Teachers and school employees may be at greater risk for measles exposure when they are not immune to the virus via vaccination or previous infection.

There is very little data about measles infection among teachers and other school employees. Some studies have found no evidence that teachers are at increased risk of measles as long as measles incidence (i.e., the number of cases) is low. However, teachers and other school workers may be exposed whenever they are around infected children or coworkers, and infection is much more likely among such workers who do not have immunity to the virus from vaccination or previously having had the disease.

Activities that can lead to school worker exposure include:

• Being near a child or coworker with measles, especially when the infected person is coughing or sneezing, or in an environment where the person has been within the previous two hours.
• Providing first aid.
• Cleaning surfaces contaminated with an infected person’s infectious body fluids (i.e., respiratory secretions, saliva).