Measles Vaccine: Adults who were vaccinated in the 1960s may need a measles booster

Some adults who were vaccinated against measles in the 1960s partial immunity only. Dr. David Agus of CBS News explained on Friday in CBS This Morning why people who had been vaccinated from 1963 to 1968 should consult their doctor for a possible recall.

"From 1963, we started to vaccinate," said Agus. "The first five years of the vaccine – some lots were not very good .. None of us really knows what lot we had."

"So you can either go see your doctor and tell him:" Do a blood test and see if my level is high enough, "or just get vaccinated," he said. "By the way, it's much cheaper to get vaccinated, people who were vaccinated from 1963 to 1968 – that must happen."

According to Agus, people born before 1957 were most likely exposed to measles, which means that 95-98% of them have enough antibodies to fight the disease. From 1968 to 1989, physicians administered only one vaccine, which means that immunity in these individuals may be slightly lower than for those who received two vaccines.

"And so the argument is this: if you go to a foreign country, if you're going to potentially go to university – which obviously is probably not going to university now – [or] if you live in one of the areas in cases where measles has increased dramatically, you should probably consult your doctor for a second potential injection, "he said.

Agus said that there was no danger in receiving a booster shot, although you may have an arm ache.

The CDC confirmed the the greatest number of cases – mainly in unvaccinated children – since measles was declared eradicated in the United States in 2000. Measles can linger in the body without symptoms, thus putting at risk newborns who do not yet have of antibodies and are too young to receive a booster shot. In other words, it's not just about you.

"There are now parents who do not leave their homes because they do not want to go on the subway lest someone coughs or does not [are] do not send their child to a kindergarten because someone can have him there and bring him home and he has a baby at home, "said Agus." This is a major problem, not only for individuals, but for society as a whole. be careful of."

Measles can be particularly dangerous for adults who may develop life-threatening brain infections.

"That should not happen – it was eradicated in the United States in 2000. We need to step up, it's a call to arms," ​​Agus said. "And I think it's a decisive moment for anti-vaxxers who hope that they will go away."

According to the CDC and the company that makes the measles vaccine, it is not lacking for the moment.