Measles is still a common health problem in Turkey because of its continuing high incidence and important complications, including subacute sclerosing panecephalitis (SSPE). The increased incidence of SSPE resulted from a newspaper article reporting a change in the measles immunization program from two doses to one dose in 1988. However, measles vaccination was applied in a one-dose schedule until 1998 when a second dose was added into the school vaccination program. In 1988, the number of vaccination against measles was not changed, but the age of vaccination was changed from 12-15 months of age to 9 months of age to prevent the cases in the infancy period. Early vaccination can prevent the infantile measles cases, but in 20% of the vaccines it is not prevented. In addition with the 20% of unvaccinated children there is approximately an 80% routine vaccination rate, 40% of children are not protected against measles. The most practical means of preventing measles and secondarily SSPE cases is to manage the measles elimination program and then to change the measles vaccination to the 12th month of age with the measles–mumps–rubella vaccine.