With Measles cases on the rise nationwide, infectious disease experts say some older adults should get vaccinated against it.
Measles is a highly contagious disease that spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. An individual’s best defense against the virus is the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine.
The shot is given in two doses. The first is given to children 12-15 months old, and a second dose is given to those 4-6 years old.
People with both vaccinations are fully immunized and do not need additional vaccines, according to Yale Medicine. However, people who got the MMR vaccine before 1968 may need to get re-vaccinated or boosted, said Dr. Glenn Wortmann, an infectious disease specialist with MedStar Washington Hospital Center.
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“There was a period of time when we were using a killed vaccine, a dead vaccine, which just didn't give you the strong enough protection like the modified vaccine we're using now,” he said.
Wortmann said people born before 1957 when measles was more prevalent can assume they were infected at one point and are now immune to reinfection.
Other high-risk groups that may need an additional dose of the vaccine include people who travel internationally, those in close contact with someone immunocompromised and healthcare workers.
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“For hospital employees, it's actually required that you have immunity to measles, and so you have to have proof of vaccination,” Wortmann said. “If you have proof that you received both vaccinations, you're fine. If there's any question for hospital employees, we can do a blood test to see if you've been vaccinated.”
The current measles outbreak comes as vaccination rates fall across the country. The kindergarten vaccination rate against measles fell from 95% during the 2019- 2020 school year to 92% last school year nationwide.
Only 11 states, including Maryland and West Virginia, achieved herd immunity, or a vaccination rate of over 95%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Herd immunity occurs when most people in a community are vaccinated, making it more difficult for a disease to spread and infect others.
D.C. is at 92% and Virginia is at 94%. In West Texas — where the outbreak started — the MMR vaccine rate is 82%.
“It's being spread in communities much more widely than we had seen in the past, and the way to stop that from happening is keep your vaccination rates up,” Wortmann said.
The CDC says two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective and offer lifetime protection. If you can't track down your vaccination records or aren't sure the type of vaccine you received, it's best to talk to your physician and see if you need a booster.
