Measles Vaccine – What you need to know about the measles vaccine as an adult

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The vast majority of people received the measles vaccine. People who have not been deliberately immunized as children have recently attracted public attention, because of parents' misplaced concerns about the safety or effectiveness of the vaccine. Those who become adults – and those who are already – have the opportunity to make their own idea about the opportunity to get vaccinated.

Vaccination is usually an obligation for students who plan to attend university unless there is a legitimate medical reason not to vaccinate (as a serious disease of the immune system). This is part of the social contract: you must protect not only yourself, but also those who may not be able to take the vaccine. Depending on the state, some adolescents may be vaccinated without parental consent before the age of 18 years: in all states, they can all be vaccinated at 18 years of age. Vaccines can be obtained from your doctor, many local pharmacies, and state and local health centers. departments.

But if you have any, it's okay, no?

May be. Two groups of people should check their degree of protection:

1. People at risk of exposure to measles. It could be health care workers or early childhood workers. These groups should consider getting tested for immunity – it's a simple blood test that your doctor can perform. Health care workers usually undergo tests when hired to make sure their blood contains protective antibody levels. The lack of antibodies may be due to a poorly stored vaccine or to one of the few who have not responded. Otherwise, they must receive two doses of vaccine before starting work.
2. People planning international trips to a place where measles outbreaks are taking place. Madagascar is currently experiencing a mbadive epidemic: information for travelers is available at https://www.cdc.gov/measles/travelers.html. Those who do not have protective antibodies will need two doses before their trip, spaced at least 28 days apart. So you have to plan ahead.
3. Persons born between 1963 and 1967. Many people born during this period have been vaccinated with the help of a killed vaccine and are at risk of developing a syndrome called atypical measles. The list of vaccines should indicate whether you have received a killed vaccine or a live vaccine (the Schwarz, Edmonston B and Moraten strains are all living strains). If the message does not say that you can not find your records or that you have received a killed vaccine, you are at risk and if you are in an area affected by an outbreak in the United States or if you are planning an international trip in an area affected by an outbreak, you should consult your doctor for revaccination with 2 doses of the current MMR vaccine. (Since there is no measles vaccine outside the MMR vaccine, you have additional protection against mumps and rubella, and mumps has had several outbreaks in recent times.)

The measles vaccine is generally safe and effective, but no medical treatment is perfect. Common side effects after the vaccine include joint pain, fever, and short-term rash. Two doses of vaccine protect more than 99% of the population and it is thought that this protection lasts a lifetime.

Protection against measles is important because measles is a serious disease. Many people mistakenly think that measles is not a problem, but it is not always a safe disease. People over the age of 20 are more likely to have complications. The best case is two weeks off. The worst case scenario is ear damage (which may be permanent hearing loss), pneumonia or encephalitis (swelling of the brain that can cause permanent brain damage), which can be fatal. One in 1000 with measles will die; 5% will need the ICU. One in 2,000 will develop another problem later, subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, uniformly fatal.

And even for those who have a simple course, measles leaves a "hole" in the immune system that predisposes people to other types of infections for years. There is no effective treatment for measles (although vitamin A is given to people with vitamin A deficiency), prevention is important.