The measles vaccine first became available in 1963, when the original live attenuated Edmonston‑B strain vaccine was licensed for public use in the United States.

Key dates at a glance

  • 1954: Researchers John F. Enders and Thomas C. Peebles isolate the measles virus from an infected student (the Edmonston strain), laying the groundwork for a vaccine.
  • 1958–1960: Early measles vaccine candidates are tested in small groups of children.
  • 1963: The first measles vaccine (Edmonston‑B strain) is licensed and “comes out” for general use.
  • 1968: Maurice Hilleman and colleagues develop an improved, milder live vaccine strain (Edmonston‑Enders/Moraten), which becomes the standard measles vaccine in the U.S.
  • 1971: The combined MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella) is introduced.

So if you’re asking “when did the measles vaccine come out,” the widely accepted answer is 1963 , with a better‑tolerated version replacing it in 1968.

Quick Scoop: why 1963 matters

Before 1963, measles caused hundreds of thousands of reported cases and many deaths every year in the United States alone. Once vaccination scaled up, cases dropped dramatically, and by 2000 measles was considered eliminated as an endemic disease in the U.S. (though outbreaks can still happen when vaccination rates fall).

Many countries eventually adopted similar live attenuated measles vaccines, usually as part of a two‑dose schedule, which is why you often hear about “two shots” for full measles protection today.

In short: the measles vaccine “came out” in 1963, was refined in 1968, and later folded into the familiar MMR shot that kids get now.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.