https://www.thecut.com/2019/05...=fb&utm_campaign=nym

I’m due for a blood test. At my cousin’s urging (she’s my age), I’m getting tested to see whether I still have measles immunity. Apparently, many people our age do not.

I've heard that.

I wonder if the cost of the vaccine is more or less than the cost of the blood test. Is it bad to get a booster if you don't need it?

I had the measles, the old fashioned way. Can one lose immunity after an actual infection?

CDC says if you were born before 1957 you should be fine. Guess pretty much everyone got the measles and immunity is lifelong.

https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/faqs.html

I know I had the measles. I’m also in the pre-1957 category.

I'm pretty sure I had boosters of everything when I went back to grad school, except meningitis. They only required that of residential students.

I had the measles, and barely NOT in the pre-1957 category.

I can't take live virus vaccines like MMR, so I hope I'm immune.

I didn't have the measles. I only had the German measles.

My cousin, born in 1958 or 1959, had the vaccine, but the immunity had worn off.

quote:

Originally posted by Nina:
I had the measles, and barely NOT in the pre-1957 category.

... and I'm barely IN the pre-1957 category.

No problem with me clearing the pre 1957 bar but I only had the 2 week measles as a kid, not the three day kind. Is this a problem?

Three-day measles, aka German measles, aka rubella, is very dangerous for pregnant woman to contract. It's considered to have been eliminated from the US as of 2004 but could come back due to travelers to/from other countries, and due to reduced vaccinations here. That's already happened with measles.

It's possible that you had rubella but didn't know it; that's not uncommon. You could get an MMR titer done and know where your immunity stands on all three diseases. I found a lab that advertises that test for $129.

Or you could just get the MMR vaccine (I don't think you can get the rubella vaccine only). One dose of the rubella portion is 97% effective.

quote:

Originally posted by QuirtEvans:
I didn't have the measles. I only had the German measles.

My cousin, born in 1958 or 1959, had the vaccine, but the immunity had worn off.

The measles vaccine has changed; I'm assuming that's the one you were referring to with regard to your cousin.

From the CDC:

quote:

If you received a measles vaccine in the 1960s, you may not need to be revaccinated. People who have documentation of receiving LIVE measles vaccine in the 1960s do not need to be revaccinated. People who were vaccinated prior to 1968 with either inactivated (killed) measles vaccine or measles vaccine of unknown type should be revaccinated with at least one dose of live attenuated measles vaccine. This recommendation is intended to protect those who may have received killed measles vaccine, which was available in 1963-1967 and was not effective.

I’m not pre-1957, but I’m pretty sure I had measles, and mumps, and rubella as a child. I think I also had a booster shot before getting pregnant, just in case.

I had a booster shot last year. Can't remember if it was for measles or chicken pox. Maybe both. A catch up dr appt as I hadn't been for a while.