Warning of overseas outbreaks, CDC urges Americans to get the measles vaccine before traveling abroad

The CDC is urging Americans to make sure they’re protected against measles before traveling to other countries this summer.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging Americans to make sure they’re protected against measles before traveling to other countries this summer.

Last week, the agency updated its travel guidance for the virus as cases pop up nationwide. Nearly all exposures at airports are linked to international travel.

That includes six cases linked to a Turkish Airlines flight that landed at Denver International Airport on May 13. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said that four of the patients had been on the plane.

Two other people were exposed at the airport before getting sick. Measles is one of the most contagious viruses in the world. Droplets can linger in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has been there.

According to an NBC News tally, 1,125 measles cases in 33 states have been diagnosed in the U.S. this year. Texas, the state with the largest outbreak, has reported 738 cases.