HARRISONBURG, VA (Rocktown Now) — As outbreaks of measles pop up nationwide, a James Madison University professor is speaking out about vaccine safety and alternatives.

Catherine Zeman has taught about human diseases, epidemiology and the emergence of environmental disease for more than 25 years, and she says those who are unvaccinated are 1-thousand-times more likely to die of measles than to have a life-threatening reaction to the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella – or M-M-R — shot.

“Put another way: you are 200,000 times more likely to die from a measles case than you are to win the state lottery.  And you are 10,000 times more likely to die in an auto accident than you are to have a serious vaccine reaction to the MMR,” says Zeman. “This is an incredibly effective tool to protect life with very low side effects.”

When it comes to protecting against measles, Zeman suggests staying up to date with vaccinations, becoming familiar with research on vaccines, and considering current outbreak data when making travel plans.