(Radio Iowa) – As Iowa kids prepare to go back to school, health experts are urging parents to make sure they are up to date on their measles vaccination. The state has confirmed eight cases of the highly contagious virus since May. Karen Brust is a hospital epidemiologist at University of Iowa Health Care. She says if someone suspects they have measles, they should call ahead to alert their healthcare provider before going in.

The M-M-R vaccine — for measles, mumps and rubella — is considered 97 percent effective against the virus. According to state data, 84-percent of Iowa children were fully vaccinated last year, which falls several points below the 90-percent threshold experts consider herd immunity.

Measles can cause serious illness and in rare cases, death.