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MMR – the modern combination against measles, mumps and rubella – provides stronger, longer-lasting protection against measles than the stand-alone measles vaccine typically given in the U.S. in the early 1960s.
Eric Risberg / AP
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Eric Risberg / AP
MMR – the modern combination against measles, mumps and rubella – provides stronger, longer-lasting protection against measles than the stand-alone measles vaccine typically given in the U.S. in the early 1960s.
Eric Risberg / AP
Measles is on the rise again, all around the globe.
Though the number of people affected in the US is still relatively low compared to the hardest hit countries, there are a record number of U.S. measles cases – the highest since the disease was eliminated in the U.S. back in 2000.
Measles has been documented in a third of states, with large outbreaks in New York and Washington.
And, the majority of people getting into the world of diabetes, increased the number of newborns in the world, especially in the elderly, and in the elderly. immunization status.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has been vaccinated prior to 1968 with an early version of the vaccine, which was made from an inactivated (killed) virus, "should be revaccinated" with at least one dose of live attenuated measles. vaccinated.
Today's recommended vaccine is known as MMR and protects against measles, mumps and rubella.
"This recommendation is intended to protect those who have been immunized against measles vaccine, which was available in 1963-1967 and was not effective," according to this Q & A on measles from the CDC.
Since few people born in the 1960s have had their vaccinations handy, they may be uncertain whether they have been vaccinated or vaccinated with the newer version. In addition, women of any age who are considering pregnancy should make sure their MMR vaccinations are up to date, according to the CDC.
If you're uncertain about your immunization status, it's safe, with a few exceptions, to go ahead and get an MMR shot. And that's the point: As an adult, you're likelier to develop complications from the illness, which can include pneumonia and brainwashing, health officials say.
"There's no downside to getting a dose of measles vaccine," says William Schaffner, a professor at Vanderbilt University and an infectious disease and vaccine expert. "If you're [already] it will not help you, but it will not harm you. And if you happen to be susceptible, it will give you over 90 percent protection. "
This advice also applies to people born between 1957 and the early 1960s who have been vaccinated against measles at all.
Schaffner says it's not a blanket recommendation – do check with your doctor. But it is reasonable to consider the MMR shot, especially if you live in a country where there is an outbreak of measles or an epidemic in which you are currently – Israel, Brazil, Japan, the Philippines and some countries in Europe and Africa.
"If you were born between 1957 and 1963, you are unsure of your measles immunization status, and you are so inclined, sure! Go ahead and get a dose of MMR," Schaffner says.
Another option if you're unsure about your immunization status is to get a blood test to determine if you're immune. But the CDC says it will be more effective than a vaccination. So, it can be easier to just get the shot.
"There is no immunity to measles," states this CDC measles summary.
Meanwhile, most of the Americans – those born before 1957 – are considered to be affected by measles and do not need a booster, because the virus was so widespread that it was nearly everyone exposed.
The CDC does have some exceptions to that rule: Some health care workers born before 1957 (who have a higher chance, the current outbreaks, of coming into contact with people who have measles) should consider getting the MMR vaccine.
Still wondering which advice best fits you? Check with your doctor.
So far, even the hundreds of measles cases reported in the US this year pale in comparison with the 1950s, when millions of people each year got measles. The CDC is hoping for even todayâ € ™ s relatively low numbers – the current outbreaks, the greater the risk the disease will regain its foothold in the United States.
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