I had an appointment with my physician a couple of weeks ago. I asked her whether I should get the MMR shot but she showed me my vaccination record and apparently I got it in 2019.
NYT gifted:
If you are fully vaccinated — meaning you have received two doses at some point in your life — you should be set.
If you were vaccinated before 1968, you may need at least one more dose, because the shot offered previously was less effective.
If you were vaccinated between 1968 and 1989, there may be some gap in immunity: During that time the C.D.C. recommended only one shot. A single dose is around 93 percent effective against measles. Now, the agency says full protection is two shots, which are roughly 97 percent effective.
If you have only had one shot, you should talk with a health care provider about next steps, said Robert Bednarczyk, an associate professor of global health at Emory University.
Most people who have had one dose do not need to seek out another, Dr. Adalja said. “One dose is pretty effective,” though he added that there’s no harm in getting another dose.
I got my second dose this year.
Thank you for sharing. I’ve been debating about asking my doctor to check my immunization level. As both hubby and I have records that we each got 2 doses, it seems there is little reason to worry.
I got my titers tested during the NY outbreak, because i know my mother got me a medical exemption from a recommended round of measles vaccine due to a “bad reaction” to my previous vaccine. Reading up on it, there were two vaccines used in the early 60s that were pulled from the market, both replaced with what’s now part of the MMR. One was a killed vaccine that was less effective, and the other was an attenuated vaccine that wasn’t weakened enough, and it was pulled because too many kids got a fever and rash from it (and there was a safer vaccine that had become available.) I’m sure i got the second, and basically, had measles.
Anyway, my titers came back positive, so i didn’t get the MMR. But it’s probably cheaper to just get the MMR than to get tested, if you have any questions about your vaccination history. My brother has the same history i do, and after we talked about it, he decided to get the MMR, because he could walk into a pharmacy and just do it.
I get pretty sick the next day every time i get a tetanus booster. It’s worth doing it, but it wasn’t a crazy question to ask.
You sometimes see the claim that more than 90% of vaccine reactions aren’t reported - but that really means 90% (or 99%) of reactions are too minor to bother reporting
My dermatologist had me do a course of fluoroucil in February, and I reacted badly–super inflamed and weepy skin on my hands and neck. Apparently that compromised my immune system so when I got my MMR booster a month ago I broke out in a complete body rash that itched like a mofo. So, I’m protected but now on prednisone.
I had an interesting and (to me, anyway) disturbing experience today.
I made an appointment a week ago for an MMR vaccination today. I know I had mumps as a child. I know I had Measles Rubeola in my early 30s. So that made me think I might still be vulnerable to Rubella, because getting Rubiola as an adult argues against my having received any previous MMR vaccination. And I don’t recall having had Rubella.
I was born in early 1957, so right on the cusp of the 1956 cut-off. Because of my potential vulnerability to Rubella, I was going to just get the MMR shot, no harm no foul.
Today I learned that as of early April, my pharmacy requires a statement indicating evidence of immunity (or non-immunity, presumably) from my medical provider before they will give the MMR shot. It is no longer possible to just proactively get the vaccination. I asked when this went into effect. It became a federal requirement as of April 2025.
This new restriction probably doesn’t affect too many people. It’s just something to be aware of. I began updating all my vaccinations the day after the election and this is the last one I may need to get. Glad I started early.
Is this a rule if your insurance/medicare or a regulation or the pharmacy? I’m able to preemptively schedule one in California with Obamacare.
It’s a new federal requirement as of April 2025. Not the pharmacy, not my doctor and not my state.
I’m on Medicare. Supplemental, not Advantage.
Maybe it’s a Medicare thing? I could have gone this afternoon for a shot if the CVS appointment webpage is to be believed.
I can’t find any talk of this requirement with a Google search but maybe I’m not using the right terms.
I just talked to a pharmacist at the CVS down the road and he had never heard of any such regulation and the Medicare Part D would pay for it or you could pay cash for it.
All I know is what the pharmacist told me. My questions of him were pointed: “Is this a federal mandate? Or state?” He said it was federal. I asked when it had taken effect, and he told me in April. He had the vaccine in his hand, but said he couldn’t give it to me until I was able to provide the aforementioned “evidence of immunity.” He said my doctor would know what it is.
I’m glad you’re able to get one if you need it!
ETA: I’m going to press the pharmacy to show me the specific rule they’re relying on next time I go there.
We simulposted but see my post above. I think the pharmacist is full of shit. Maybe try at another pharmacy.
That’s a good idea. Or I’ll ask my doctor to give the shot.
I saw my doctor for a Periodic Health Review last month and brought up MMR with him since I was born in 1970 and probably just had one shot. He said they generally don’t check titres and just gave me a booster along with a tetanus vaccine. Difficulty: Canada.
Any health office for the county will give you the MMR vaccine.
It sounds like a pharmacy situation.
CVS will lie to you in a heartbeat.
I changed pharmacies because of the lying jerks.
Possibly they lied because they have limits or restrictions from corporate.
When they lied to me twice about my insulin I walked out, never to return.
Hate those people.
(I assume all the big pharmacies are the same, I know Walmart, my local, would not call me timely. I moved to a privately owned pharmacy. It has drawbacks, a dollar or two more, hours not as good. I can work around that, tho’. )
Difficulty…becks work around
@Aspenglow …I just looked there’s no Federal mandate or restriction on MMR vaccines for adults. And apparently your birthday puts you in a risk category. According to where you live.
Actually it says if you don’t want the vaccine for reasons, I guess international travel or something, you’d need a letter from your doctor saying you’re immune. Not the other way around.
That guy at your pharmacy was reading something wrong or just stupid.
I learned the same thing with my own investigation into it. I’ll just get the vax from a different provider. Thanks.
Good. I’m glad you did.
Thanks to both of you for coming back to set the record straight.
Gosh knows something as stupid as what tha pharm tech said isn’t implausible any more in our topsy turvy world country.