News regarding the Measles Outbreak has been all over the news recently and with good reason.
According to the CDC, Measles is highly contagious and spreads through coughing and sneezing.
Measles starts with fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes, and sore throat. It’s followed by a rash that spreads over the body.
Measles has serious and severe complications ranging from permanent brain damage to death.
Kids and the elderly are at the highest risk and experts are urging parents to get their kids vaccinated if they haven’t been already.
Related Read: 5 REASONS TO NOT VACCINATE YOUR KIDS
In the U.K., more than half a million British children are unvaccinated and in America, the problem seems to be even worse, with the U.S. suffering the worst outbreak of measles since the disease was all-but eradicated from the country in the early 2000s.
Related Read: UNVACCINATED 6-YEAR-OLD BOY CONTRACTS FIRST CASE OF TETANUS IN 30 YEARS
Aside from kids, if you or someone you know was born before 1989, they may need to receive a second Measles vaccine.
The current ‘MMR’ vaccination is a triple jab designed to inoculate against Measles, Mumps and Rubella.
But in the 1980s, the MMR was taking off as the first defense and many only received one jab. And, according to Gizmodo, even the MMR vaccine from the early 80s isn’t ‘perfectly effective.’
Therefore, anyone that was born before 1989 and received this single vaccine, may need to receive another to fully protect themselves.
If you’re uncertain whether or not you should receive a current MMR vaccine, make an appointment with your doctor to discuss.
You can also get a titer which identifies the amount of antibodies in a person’s blood and tells you whether or not you’ll need a second dose.
But medical professionals say that is kind of a waste of money, you are better off just getting a MMR vaccine. It’s not really that big of a deal to have one, and why go through more tests and such than is necessary.
With my husband being born in 1988, I plan to make him an appointment STAT to ensure he’s up to date and fully vaccinated.
And if you are someone who respects the opinion of the president, even he says you should vaccinate your kids:
If you have two documented doses of MMR, the CDC states that it counts a fully protected regardless of titers for measles and no need for further vaccination.