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.