Thanks to a despicable misinformation campaign by the anti-vaccine movement, measles, a disease once thought eradicated, has made a roaring comeback, with cases in 2019 having reached the highest level in 27 years, even though it’s only May.
Anti-vaccine activists like to present themselves as some sort of persecuted minority group that should be free to make their own decisions about whether to vaccinate themselves and their children. But the reality is that their irresponsible choices pose significant, and potentially fatal, consequences on others.
The measles vaccine is not 100% effective, so scientists say is that it’s important to establish herd immunity — that is, if around 92% to 95% of people receive the vaccine, then enough of the population will be immune so that it will be difficult to spread, and we will be able to protect those who are most vulnerable, such as newborns too young to get vaccinated.
The question of how to encourage wider vaccination is a challenge for public health officials, but those who are wondering what they can do to make sure they and their family members are immune is to take a simple blood test. If you aren’t sure if you had the recommended two doses of the measles vaccine, you can take a blood test known as a titer that will tell you within a few days whether you need a booster shot.
I took one last week and thankfully learned that I was immune, but a relative recently found out that he was not and had to get a second shot.
The likelihood of not being immune tends to be higher for those born in the 1960s. Between 1963 and 1967, people were administered both live and killed measles vaccines, but the live vaccine proved more effective and become broadly adopted. Even after that, however, it took until 1989 for the CDC to recommend two doses of the MMR vaccine.
So for those unsure of their vaccination history, I’d highly recommend taking a few minutes to get the quick blood test.
The CDC website notes that you are officially considered protected from measles if:
“You received two doses of measles-containing vaccine, and you are a(n) —
- school-aged child (grades K-12)
- adult who will be in a setting that poses a high risk for measles transmission, including students at post-high school education institutions, healthcare personnel, and international travelers.
- You received one dose of measles-containing vaccine, and you are a(n) —
- preschool-aged child
- adult who will not be in a high-risk setting for measles transmission.
- A laboratory confirmed that you had measles at some point in your life.
- A laboratory confirmed that you are immune to measles.
- You were born before 1957.”
