I’m 67, so suffered through chicken pox, mumps, measles and rubella before vaccines were available. I ultimately emerged unscathed, but some of my siblings and friends were not as fortunate. Why would any sane parent take that risk with their children? Perhaps this is why VP Vance is encouraging us to increase the birth rate. People will need to have lots of babies to make up for those who die in childhood of preventable diseases. Thank you for your advocacy, Dr. Love!
Question. I was born in 1959. I’m not sure if I was vaccinated against measles and there is no way to find out that information. My parents are both dead and so are any childhood doctors. I do remember that I had rubella the summer between the first and second grade. Would an MMR vaccine be a good idea for me?
This was answered in today’s newsletter (actually last year too):
If you don’t know if you’ve been vaccinated, try to track down your vaccine records.
If you do not have written documentation of MMR vaccine, you should get vaccinated.
Now, you can get measles antibody titers done to see if you have evidence of immunity before that, but some insurance companies won’t cover that and the testing also can take some time. The MMR vaccine is safe, and there is no harm in getting another dose if you may already be immune to measles, mumps, or rubella.
(this is true for vaccines, broadly—I got an additional HPV vaccine dose in my late twenties because I could not track down my vaccine records from when I was in college—the period that the HPV vaccine was first approved)
If you were born after 1957 and vaccinated prior to 1968, you should get an MMR vaccine.
The first measles vaccine that was approved in 1963 was an inactivated measles vaccine. This induces a less robust immune response, and it eventually was replaced with the attenuated version we use today. But if you were vaccinated between 1963 and 1967, you received the inactivated version. The waning immunity after 60 years plus your age places you at high risk for complications, so at least one dose of MMR vaccine is a good idea.
If you don’t know which vaccine you received and you were vaccinated in the 1960s, you should also get at least one dose of MMR.
I would be most appreciative of comments & our clarification...
Given the sad state of likely global immunizations, specifically measles I have recently read the passive immunity from mom to newborn is not very good... convention being "protective" maternal antibodies are present ~ 9+ months post birth. However, titres are minimal within a couple months & those for mom's who have natural immunity cf those vaccinated MMR are somewhat counter intuitive.
I am asking for a variety of reasons & coupled with the sdt of care for a pregnant women in their 2 to 3rd trimester (apparently more optimal end of the 2nd) is to be given Tdap with the intent to boost passive immunity for pertussis, should there be a paradigm shift to include a measles booster?
Spoiler...MMR vaccination should NOT be given during pregnancy and pregnancy should be avoided for 28 days after vaccine administration.
My introduction to pediatrics and nursing school was an eight year-old with Dawson's inclusion body encephalitis from measles. It was horrendous.
The year I had measles, obviously well before the vaccine, over 400 children died and close to 50,000 were hospitalized.
Thank you for making sure the reality about this dreadful disease is out there. It's tragic that this needs to be said.
Thank you for all your hard work on your field, Doctor. Great column.
I'm 67 and got measles a year before the vaccine was approved. I do remember being so effin' sick with a 106°F fever, not good.
I’m 67, so suffered through chicken pox, mumps, measles and rubella before vaccines were available. I ultimately emerged unscathed, but some of my siblings and friends were not as fortunate. Why would any sane parent take that risk with their children? Perhaps this is why VP Vance is encouraging us to increase the birth rate. People will need to have lots of babies to make up for those who die in childhood of preventable diseases. Thank you for your advocacy, Dr. Love!
Question. I was born in 1959. I’m not sure if I was vaccinated against measles and there is no way to find out that information. My parents are both dead and so are any childhood doctors. I do remember that I had rubella the summer between the first and second grade. Would an MMR vaccine be a good idea for me?
This was answered in today’s newsletter (actually last year too):
If you don’t know if you’ve been vaccinated, try to track down your vaccine records.
If you do not have written documentation of MMR vaccine, you should get vaccinated.
Now, you can get measles antibody titers done to see if you have evidence of immunity before that, but some insurance companies won’t cover that and the testing also can take some time. The MMR vaccine is safe, and there is no harm in getting another dose if you may already be immune to measles, mumps, or rubella.
(this is true for vaccines, broadly—I got an additional HPV vaccine dose in my late twenties because I could not track down my vaccine records from when I was in college—the period that the HPV vaccine was first approved)
If you were born after 1957 and vaccinated prior to 1968, you should get an MMR vaccine.
The first measles vaccine that was approved in 1963 was an inactivated measles vaccine. This induces a less robust immune response, and it eventually was replaced with the attenuated version we use today. But if you were vaccinated between 1963 and 1967, you received the inactivated version. The waning immunity after 60 years plus your age places you at high risk for complications, so at least one dose of MMR vaccine is a good idea.
If you don’t know which vaccine you received and you were vaccinated in the 1960s, you should also get at least one dose of MMR.
https://news.immunologic.org/p/the-first-measles-death-in-the-us
I would be most appreciative of comments & our clarification...
Given the sad state of likely global immunizations, specifically measles I have recently read the passive immunity from mom to newborn is not very good... convention being "protective" maternal antibodies are present ~ 9+ months post birth. However, titres are minimal within a couple months & those for mom's who have natural immunity cf those vaccinated MMR are somewhat counter intuitive.
I am asking for a variety of reasons & coupled with the sdt of care for a pregnant women in their 2 to 3rd trimester (apparently more optimal end of the 2nd) is to be given Tdap with the intent to boost passive immunity for pertussis, should there be a paradigm shift to include a measles booster?
Spoiler...MMR vaccination should NOT be given during pregnancy and pregnancy should be avoided for 28 days after vaccine administration.
Thank you JJF 🇨🇦