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NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – In our measles epidemic, many adults asked whether the vaccine they had as a child was sufficient.
Do you need a reminder?
Marc Liverman of CBSN New York takes a closer look at confusion and risk.
Deb Ivanhoe received his first measles vaccine on Friday morning.
60-year-old New Yorker did not remember if she had ever been vaccinated as a child. She had her blood tested and found that she was immune to measles.
Most people born before 1957 have been exposed to measles and are immunized. But Ivanhoe was born a year later, when there was no vaccine – it happened in 1963.
Even the first vaccinated may not be clear, according to Dr. David Agus, a medical contributor to CBS News.
"The first five years of the vaccine, some lots were not very good. None of us knows what lot we got, "said Dr. Agus.
Health professionals say you can have your blood tested, such as Ivanhoe, or simply benefit from the measles booster. This is the cheapest option.
There is another age group that could consider a measles booster.
"From 1968 to 1989, we only gave one shot. Then we started giving two injections, so the immunity may still be a little weak, "said Dr. Agus.
So far this year, the CDC has confirmed 704 cases. This is the largest number of cases since measles was declared eradicated in the United States in 2000. Most cases involve unvaccinated children. Children under 5 and adults over 20 are more likely to suffer from complications.
"They can get the brain infection, it can even lead to death, so that's something we really need to watch out for," said Dr. Agus.
In two weeks, Ivanhoe's vaccine will be fully effective and she will be protected from measles.
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