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Adults born in or after 1957 are probably protected from measles even though they have only received one dose of the vaccine, according to the Alabama Public Health Department.
ADPH provided clarification on Friday by the Centers for Disease Control regarding vaccination of adults. According to the CDC, one dose of MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella) provides "sufficient" protection for most American adults born in 1957. Adults are also considered to be safe from the highly contagious virus. 39. They were born before 1957 laboratory confirmation of immunity or disease.
The clarification comes as Alabama has its first case of measles: a 5-month-old girl from Pell City is currently recovering from the virus. There are currently more than 30 open investigations on measles in this state, according to the ADPH.
Who needs a reminder?
Only adults considered to be at high risk require two doses of MMR, each dose being spaced at least 28 days apart. People at high risk are those attending post-secondary educational institutions; are health workers; or are international travelers.
Current CDC recommendations, issued in 1989, recommend two doses of MMR vaccine – the first when a child is between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old. Two doses of the vaccine provide protection against the disease in 97% of cases, said the CDC. If the remaining 3% contract measles, they are likely to have a less serious illness and less likely to spread the disease to other people.
Before the double-dose method, a single dose of the vaccine was considered adequate and this was given to those born between 1963 and 1989. People born before 1963 did not receive a vaccine , but health officials said they have probably been exposed or had measles at some point and have natural immunity. One dose of vaccine is about 93% effective against the highly contagious virus.
Before the launch of the measles immunization program in 1963, it was estimated that 3 to 4 million people were infected with measles each year in the United States. Of these, about 500,000 cases have been reported annually to the CDC; of these, 400 to 500 died, 48,000 were hospitalized, and 1,000 developed encephalitis or brain swelling caused by measles.
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