Should You Get A Measles Vaccine Booster? Here's What To Know.

[cbabe]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2025/03/25/should-you-get-a-measles-vaccine-booster-heres-what-to-know/

Should You Get A Measles Vaccine Booster? Here's What To Know.
Molly Bohannon
Forbes Staff

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises the best way to protect against measles is to get the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine or the measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) shot, which are often administered to children in two doses when they are between 12 and 15 months and again when they are between four- and six-years-old.

The CDC says most people who get either vaccination are “protected for life,” and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases says most vaccinated adults do not need boosters to protect against measles.

The NFID and CDC recommend that if you are unsure of immunity or vaccination status, it is safest to get a measles vaccine as there is “no harm in getting another dose if you may already be immune.”

The only group the CDC recommends should get another dose of the measles vaccine is “people vaccinated prior to 1968 with either inactivated (killed) measles vaccine or measles vaccine of unknown type.” The CDC recommends those people get at least one dose of a new measles vaccine as the vaccine available from 1963 to 1967 was not effective.

…

The CDC said cases have been confirmed in Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont and Washington.

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[JenniferJuniper]

1. However,

As yanked from the internets:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that anyone vaccinated between 1957 and 1968 get at least one dose of the live vaccine. (Measles was so widespread prior to the 1960s that people born before 1957 are assumed to have natural immunity.)

I remember being called down to the nurse's station in high school in the late 1970s being told they were given boosters to kids my age because of the above. So if you're of a certain age as noted above and don't recall getting a booster, you may want to check out your levels.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. I'm getting a blood titre for MMR (measles)

Before I get a booster to see how strong my immunity is.

[Ritabert]

3. The pharmacist was giving us grief about getting it

We are old but neither of us remember getting the measles. Mumps and German measles yes. I suppose we'll have to get the blood test for antibodies.

[viva la]

4. I had the actual disease 60 years ago--

And asked my doctor about immunity lasting that long. She said it probably really is lifelong, but that considering we're living longer now, and also that lower vax rates means more risk of exposure--"It wouldn't hurt to get another shot if you're likely to be around unvaxxed kids like a pre-school teacher."

I'm not, and my grandchildren are definitely vaxxed. So I'm not too worried. I did get a DTP booster, however, because I never did have pertussis and that has shown up in my town.

[cbabe]

6. Virus lasts up to two hours in the air. Library,

grocery, all public spaces. So exposure is unknown. Be safe. Booster up if needed.

I had whooping cough as an adult. Very bad terrible illness. No one told me vax wears out and a booster is necessary.

I lived and learned.

[viva la]

7. I love vaccines.

There was just polio and smallpox when I was a kid, and I got most of the diseases.
My kids were spared.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Thanks for the OP. This info is not prominently aired in the public.

I doubt a doctor's order is needed. Like Covid just go the pharmacy route. On my radar.