The US advised those who were born before 1989 to get the measles vaccine again

The United States is falling into the darkest era of measles since the disease was removed from the United States in 2000. Most of the victims are children who are not vaccinated, even some who have been vaccinated. Measles is still at risk when you are young, depending on your age.

In early April 2019, Israeli public health officials reported a 43-year-old Israeli woman in a deep coma due to measles infection, a rare complication of the disease. Israel is currently struggling with outbreaks of measles, and like in the United States, largely due to the transmission between the unvaccinated group (the woman who is a flight attendant, often flies between the US and Israel, so she may have been infected from one of the two countries). But the woman herself has been vaccinated, so her condition is not as severe as many new people today.

Today, children get two doses of combined measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR vaccine, starting at age one. However, in the 1980s, people in the United States and other countries received only one injection. It was not until 1989, after a series of outbreaks, that public health professionals in the United States passed a two-dose MMR procedure. MMR vaccine, like many others, is not completely effective for measles even with two injections (97% effective), but is still better than one nose anyway (93% effective).

That does not mean that everyone born before 1989 needs to immediately get the MMR vaccine again. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) only recommends that people vaccinated between 1963 and 1967 be vaccinated with the current MMR, because the old vaccine is not real. effectiveness. CDC also recommends that unvaccinated adults be vaccinated at least once to be protected.

We know that vaccine immunity to measles can weaken for years or decades later, even in people who have had two injections. The study also showed that the outbreak of mumps in young people may be related to reduced immunity at a much faster rate, leading some scientists to call for a second booster injection. three at 18 years old. Meanwhile, CDC said public health officials may recommend strengthening the third injection for people at risk of mumps, such as those living near the outbreak.

But what if you live in an area where measles outbreaks are present? From what we know, there is not much benefit from the third injection of MMR for measles. However, if you only get one MMR shot (or don't remember the time of your vaccination), you should ask your doctor about the vaccination, especially if you live in an area where the disease is raging.