Measles cases rise in the US; Bay Area officials urge vaccination, highlighting the importance of the MMR vaccine in light of recent deaths and Texas outbreak.

The health departments from all Bay Area counties urged people to get vaccinated against measles because of rising cases across the country.

Health officials said the risk of exposure to measles remains low in the Bay Area. The safest way to fight it is to take a measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination shot if you’re under 3 years old and to get two of them if you’re older than 3.

Bay Area health leaders are encouraging everyone to check if they got the measles vaccine or to visit their doctor and receive the shot if they are unsure. The recommendations comes after the United States has seen a sharp rise in measles cases with 320 cases across the country as of Friday morning.