Should adults have a measles booster?

[stopwastingmymoney]

I notice the cases near me have all been adults and I'm not finding much info on this.

Does anyone know?

[pennylane100]

1. I was also wondering if we should.

[2naSalit]

2. Would that includ those of us who

had the disease as children?

[Nay]

3. I have the same question. I actually HAD measles as a child (vaccine was

not developed until I was 12), and I wonder if my natural immunity conveyed by having the disease will last the rest of my life, or should I have a booster?

I've read that you can get a measles titer test to see if you still have enough measles antibodies, but is that a reasonable way to go about it?

In any case, I sure as hell don't want these anti-vax nutters to kill me off.

[fredamae]

5. Me too and it

was Nasty!

[SheilaT]

4. I am almost positive that those of us who had measles

as children have absolutely nothing to worry about. I don't ever recall the adults around me when I was growing up being at all concerned that they would get it.

I seem to recall that when the MMR first came out, there was hope it would confer permanent immunity, but when teens who'd had the shot as children started getting measles, it was clear a booster was needed.

I wouldn't be too surprised if a later booster is also needed. But isn't measles one of the diseases that a blood test will show if you have immunity? I know it's not feasible for every single adult who had the MMR sometime in the past to race out for a blood test, but if I were in that category I'd be talking to my primary care doctor.

In a similar way, the current shingles vaccine has an uncertain period of effectiveness, and we'll probably find out what that is when the first wave of adults who had the vaccine start getting shingles. I feel fortunate in that I got the shingles shot a year ago, long enough after it started being available, that I'll find out when I need a booster before I'm at risk myself. I hope.

[Downwinder]

6. From CDC.

http://www.cdc.gov/measles/hcp/index.html#immunity

People who are born during or after 1957 who do not have evidence of immunity against measles should get at least one dose of MMR vaccine.

Evidence of Immunity

Acceptable presumptive evidence of immunity against measles includes at least one of the following:

written documentation of adequate vaccination:
one or more doses of a measles-containing vaccine administered on or after the first birthday for preschool-age children and adults not at high risk
two doses of measles-containing vaccine for school-age children and adults at high risk, including college students, healthcare personnel, and international travelers
laboratory evidence of immunity
laboratory confirmation of measles
birth in the United States before 1957

[Runningdawg]

7. A little off topic

but I think this needs to be thrown in the mix. Shingles aren't just for old people. My husband had his first round at age 21. He has had several more since. It's worse than chicken pox. I am retired RN, I've had the vaccine, with no side effects. I encourage you to think about this and not dismiss it because you think you aren't old enough for it to happen to you.

[SheilaT]

12. My younger son got shingles at 20.

An anti viral cleared it up pretty quickly, and he hasn't had another outbreak as far as I know. He's 27 now.

I got my shingles vaccine a year ago. I don't believe the vaccine is given to younger people at all.

[Runningdawg]

14. When it first came out

it wasn't approved for those under 60. But that thinking has changed and now they go as young as 50. I was 54 when I got mine.

[SheilaT]

15. Yes, but he's half your age.

I know someone who has told me she's gotten shingles several times, and she still can't get the shot because she's too young. Not sure her exact age, but she's not over 40.

While very young people getting shingles is rare, and I sincerely hope my son never gets them again, it does happen. My older brother got shingles at about age 50. Not sure if he got them more than once, but I presume he has long since gotten the shot.

[stopwastingmymoney]

8. Thanks for all the good responses

I think I'll call the nurse at Kaiser on Monday

I do wonder, how does being born before 1957 convey immunity?

[winter is coming]

9. Measles is very contagious. If you were born before 1957, you were probably exposed

to the measles, even if you didn't get a clinical case.

[IphengeniaBlumgarten]

10. I asked my doctor about this...

He immediately gave me a booster shot. This was a couple of years ago, when it was clear that anti-vaxxing was affecting herd immunity. FWIW, I am 76 and had very serious case of measles at age 2.

[SheilaT]

13. Your bout of measles all those years ago

would have given you permanent immunity. Not that a booster shot would do any harm, but it wasn't necessary.

As I said above, when I was a child, before the measles vaccine, I never noticed any adults being at all worried they'd get it as it made the rounds in children. Someone who had grown up in a very isolated place and had never been exposed would be a different story.

[Warpy]

11. There was a period when the first measles vaccine came out

during which it was far less effective than the current MMR, the 1963-1968 period if I disremember correctly. If you had only one immunization and it was during this period, a booster is indicated and certainly won't do you any harm. The CDC now recommends the original immunization in childhood plus one booster for adults.