By GRACE KONIG
Staff Writer
Many young children traveling abroad are not receiving the proper vaccines to avoid measles. Kids are more likely to be exposed when traveling internationally than when being in the United States. Studies have been conducted that measles cases have risen in recent years. Children in the U.S. are not required to get vaccinated and are not expected to get fully vaccinated against the highly contagious virus until the age of four. This means children traveling overseas may need an MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella. In the U.S., 1,276 measles cases have been reported this year alone. That is the highest number of cases in the U.S. in nearly three decades, according to the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention. International travelers are the main source of measles outbreaks in the U.S. Health officials highly recommend getting the vaccine for anyone, but especially those traveling overseas and internationally.