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Experts are recommending that some adults may have received ineffective vaccines as children and may need a booster dose; plus, the latest news on the spread of measles into new states and cities across the US.
As the US is on track to a record-breaking number of measles cases this year, experts are warning Americans that some adults may need a second booster shot of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine.
Depending on what year you were born, the vaccine you received as a child may only partially protect you against contracting the measles.
People who were born between the years of 1963 and 1967 may have received a measles vaccine that is ineffective in offering adequate protection and may need a booster dose.
Other medical professionals recommend a second booster of the MMR vaccine for anyone born prior to 1989.
The reason for the booster dose is: Currently, doctors recommend two doses for children, but in the past only one dose was administered before the age of thirteen. The vaccine administered between 1963 and 1967 was discontinued for ineffectiveness.
Here’s the latest news on current measles outbreaks…
Health officials in Los Angeles County are investigating what they are describing as a “measles cluster” that appears to be linked to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and UCLA. Health officials have confirmed four measles cases so far, and say the cases appear to be linked to international travel coming through LAX.
Measles cases that are infecting nearby states that border with Alabama are “likely” to spread to the state, health officials say. So far this year, there have now been 626 confirmed cases of measles reported in 22 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency predicts that if measles infections continue at their current rate, 2019 is on a path toward a record-breaking year. In the year 2000, measles was declared eliminated, but has made a comeback, largely as a result of anti-vaccination myths.
