How to Check If You're Immune to Measles

[Passages]

Certain adults may need to get an additional dose of the measles vaccine. Here’s how to know if you have adequate immunity to measles

BY TARA HAELLE

May 13, 2024

The U.S. is in the midst of one of its largest measles outbreaks since the disease was declared eliminated from the country in 2000. Its elimination two decades ago meant that measles no longer circulates on its own in the U.S. But outbreaks can occur there when a traveler—such as an infected tourist returning from a country where measles has been spreading—introduces the virus.

As of May 2 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that so far this year there have been 131 cases in 21 states, stretching from California and Washington State to New York State and New Jersey. Measles is possibly the most contagious disease that can infect humans: it’s airborne and remains in the air several hours after an infected person leaves an area, and it stays on surfaces for up to two hours. Just one person with measles can infect nine out of 10 nonimmune individuals who encounter that person’s aerosols. And it’s estimated that in an unvaccinated population, one person with measles would infect about 12 to 18 people on average. Epidemiologists estimate that at least 95 percent of a population needs to be vaccinated to prevent measles from spreading. But the total measles immunization coverage of U.S. kindergarteners has dropped below that, to 93 percent.

SNIP

How do you know if you have immunity to measles?

People born before 1957 are presumed to be immune to measles because they had it in childhood. Those born in 1957 or later, however, are likely protected only if they have been vaccinated. Initially, U.S. children received just one dose of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, but that changed after a big measles outbreak that occurred from 1989 to 1991 and resulted in a reported 55,622 cases in the country. The outbreak killed 123 people and led to a congressional hearing.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-check-if-you-have-immunity-to-measles-or-need-another-dose/?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

[BComplex]

1. I was infected during the outbreak of 1991, which went into 1992. I was in my 40's. It was

horrible. I had already had measles before I was vaccinated as a child. So I'm evidently just very susceptible to the virus. As an adult, measles is a nightmare.

[wnylib]

2. You had it as a child, then got vaccinated, and then got it a second time anyway?

Wow. Do you have immune system issues with other illnesses?

[BComplex]

3. Actually, I do.

Only strep throat. I have a nephew who has had COVID 6 times, and is fully vaxxed.

[wnylib]

6. Hmm. Maybe you could use some daily doses of your name.

Plus some C and D.

[BComplex]

10. ...

That was good! And yes, I'm totally into vitamins.

[mucifer]

4. I had my titers checked a few days ago because a friend of mine my age did and she

had to get another vaccine because her titers were so low.

But, guess what? I can't check my results because my hospital is part of the Ascension Hospital conglomerate that is currently dealing with a huge cyberattack.

I can wait a few weeks until things calm down and try to figure it out.

It took months for Lurie Children's Hospital to deal with their cyberattack and the info got sold anyway.

[Passages]

5. That is terrible.

Cyber attacks are becoming a more increasingly serious issue. I sometimes post about cyber attacks in the computer forum.

[Siwsan]

7. I had measles when I was maybe 8 or 9.

I seem to remember that my mom was pregnant so my brother, sister and I were shipped off to our grandmother's house. My siblings may have already had measles. I was always late in getting any childhood plagues.

The main thing I remember is not feeling at all ill. Same when I had mumps and chickenpox. I now know how lucky I was.

[Martin68]

8. I was born in 1952, and I had both rubella and rubeola growing up. I had a temperature of 104 when I had

the measles at age 7, but suffered no after effects.

[FakeNoose]

9. I grew up in the 1950's and measles were common in my childhood

Also chicken pox, mumps and a few other things that we hardly hear about anymore. There are two kinds of measles, and one is much more serious than the other. The simple not-so-serious type - we used to call it "three-day-measles" - is actually roseola. Anyone who got it could stay home from school for a few days, and you felt yucky and feverish, but it wasn't life-threatening.

The really serious measles - we used to call it "German measles" - but the real name is rubella. It could last up to 2 weeks and was accompanied by high fevers. Some of my childhood friends even went to the hospital, but most stayed home and took cold baths for the fevers and skin rashes. This is a serious life-threatening disease for older adults who have never been vaccinated. (Most have been vaccinated because it was required for school.)