What adults must know about being protected

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Englewood residents talk about measles
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Electron microscope image of the measles virus.(Photo: CDC, Public Health Image Library)

If the news about the measles outbreak makes you wonder if you are protected enough, ask your doctor. Meanwhile, here are some guidelines.

If you are vaccinated as a child or have measles in the past, you are protected

If you are a school-age child or an adult in a high-risk environment for measles transmission, including students, health care workers or international tourists – you are considered protected from measles if you have two doses of measles. – get a vaccine at some point during your life, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Younger children and adults in low-risk settings for measles transmission are considered protected from measles if you have one dose of vaccine that contains measles at some point during your life, according to the CDC.

If the laboratory can make sure you have measles at some point in your life or was born before 1957, you are also considered safe from measles.

… unless you were vaccinated from 1963-1967

Some vaccines given between 1963 and 1967 were ineffective. People who were vaccinated before 1968 with an inactive (dead) measles vaccine or an unknown measles vaccine had to be re-vaccinated.

I am not sure if I am vaccinated. What can i do

If you are not sure you receive all the vaccinations you need to protect measles, the CDC recommends asking your parents / caregivers if they have an immunization record or looking at baby books or other documents from childhood. Your doctor's office will also keep a record of vaccinations for several years. You can also check your high school and college, even though they only tend to keep it for one to two years after students leave their system. Previous employers may also have immunization records.

I still can't find my notes. What now?

Although the CDC considers it "not ideal," it is safe to repeat vaccinations. A doctor may also be able to do a blood test to see if you are immune to measles.

Can I still get measles if I am vaccinated?

The CDC says "very few people" – about three out of 100 – will still get measles after getting two doses of vaccination. One dose of measles vaccine is about 93 percent effective in preventing measles, while two doses are around 97% effective.

If a vaccinated person does not have the disease, however, they are far more likely to have a milder illness. People who are fully vaccinated will also not spread measles to others, such as those who are too young to receive vaccinations or those with a weak immune system.

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