Measles vaccines for baby boomers

[wackymother]

We were talking about measles vaccines, and I just wanted to note that I went to my doctor and needed bloodwork, so she ordered a titer for my measles immunity as part of the testing. That came back that I do NOT have measles immunity, so I needed a new vaccination.

I was born in 1962 and I did have measles immunity in the 1990s, the last time I had a blood titer. So please, if you're about my age or older, have your immunity checked. I got the shot (ouch!) a couple of weeks ago...and then visited Hershey, Pennsylvania...and then got home after a week to find out they're having a measles outbreak around Hershey and York!

 

[Luanne]

I am planning on getting the blood test for measles when I go in for my physical. Now it sounds like we might have to worry about mumps as well.

 

[wackymother]

I had a booster for that in 1990!

 

[rapmarks]

I remember having measles,mumps, chicken pox

 

[Luanne]

I remember having measles,mumps, chicken pox

The only one I had was chicken pox. I "think" I got the MMR as an adult, but I may be thinking about my kids.

 

[Luanne]

I had a booster for that in 1990!

If you had a booster for mumps didn't it also include measles? I thought the MMR was the standard.

 

[WVBaker]

We checked with our RN about that.

If, like many of us, you were born before 1957 having the measles was simply part of life. It seemed they wanted you to get them. Yea, good times. If you've had measles as a child, your immune system will fight the infection, and you can't get measles again.

Very much like mumps. However, there are small percent of people who could get reinfected with mumps, but will have a milder form illness.

If you had the "good fortune" of having chickenpox as a child, you can't get it again. The virus may be dormant in your nerve cells. This can of course rear it's ugly head again as shingles. Doctors are simply not sure why that happens.

 

[elaine]

I don’t understand why you’re titer showed immunity once but not now. But Better safe than sorry.

 

[VacationForever]

I had measles and mumps as a child and the MMR vaccine in my 30s. My mother made me hold hands with elementary classmates who had chicken pox and I lived with 2 adult family members who caught chicken pox, separately, and I never caught it.

I was vaccinated once, 2 shots, in my 30s and another, 2 shots, in my 40s. I still have no immunity against chicken pox. My son similarly has the same issues where the vaccines did not take. My 2 PCPs said that the vaccines were useless in my body and said to stay away from people with shingles and chicken pox. Maybe I have some yet-to-be discovered natural immunity against chicken pox.

 

[wackymother]

I don’t understand why you’re titer showed immunity once but not now. But Better safe than sorry.

It wears off. It wasn't natural immunity, bc I never had measles; I had a vaccination as a child that eventually wore off. It happens.

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/some-adults-need-to-be-revaccinated-against-measles-021115#1

 

[VacationForever]

I don’t understand why you’re titer showed immunity once but not now. But Better safe than sorry.

Antibodies fade through time. I had Hep A and B vaccinations in my late 20s. 10 years after the shots, titers showed that I had immunity against both. 25 years later, titers showed that I still had immunity against Hep A but not Hep B. I was given the choice to redo all 3 Hep B shots or just take 1 Hep B shot as a booster. After my research, I opted for the 1 Hep B booster shot.

 

[wackymother]

If you had a booster for mumps didn't it also include measles? I thought the MMR was the standard.

In my case, I had recently needed a rubella vaccination. Then later they did the mumps vaccination. Measles titer was good at that time so I didn't need it. MMR is standard for kids now, but it wasn't when I was a kid, and you can still get the vaccinations separately.

 

[wackymother]

I am planning on getting the blood test for measles when I go in for my physical. Now it sounds like we might have to worry about mumps as well.

They can do titers for all vaccinations in one blood test. That's what I had in 1990, because all my records were lost.

 

[clifffaith]

How is it at age 63 I have never come across the word titer before? I suppose I'll see it everywhere now!

 

[CanuckTravlr]

How is it at age 63 I have never come across the word titer before? I suppose I'll see it everywhere now!

You aren't alone and I am older than you. I have never heard the word before either. Maybe it's a regional term. I am assuming they are referring to the small glass vials that are drawn when doing blood tests? Please correct me if I am mistaken. The specific tests the Doctor has ordered will determine how many vials (titers?) of blood are drawn by the nurse.

As an early baby boomer I have natural immunity to measles, mumps, chicken pox and even rubella (what used to be called the "German" vs. "red" measles). I got the rubella in grade 12. While I was lying sick in bed, my mother mentioned it to our next door neighbour.

She (jokingly) said she would have to send her two older daughters (both around my age, and cute! ) to sleep with me. When my mother related the conversation to me, even feeling as awful as I was, I was so disappointed when I realized their mother was just joking.

Of course, natural immunity was felt to be valuable for young women in those days before the vaccine. Without it, if they happened to later contract the rubella while pregnant, the results could be devastating for the fetus.

 

[MULTIZ321]

What are titers?

https://www.focusforhealth.org/what-are-titers/


Richard

 

[wackymother]

What are titers?

https://www.focusforhealth.org/what-are-titers/


Richard

Thanks for posting this! It's a fairly commonly used word by us. My doctor actually has a sign in her office reminding adults to get a measles vaccine, and it did remind me that I might need one. So we had a whole discussion about titers.

 

[CanuckTravlr]

What are titers?

https://www.focusforhealth.org/what-are-titers/


Richard

Thanks for that Richard. That may explain why clifffaith and I have never heard the term. It would appear that titers are irrelevant for both of us because we have full natural immunity. I know that fact is in my medical record, so the issue has never been raised by my doctor. The fact I had chicken pox did result in her giving me the shingles vaccine, in case the virus decides not to stay dormant.

My mother in the last few months before she died got shingles, as her immune system started to fail. It was not fun!!

 

[MULTIZ321]

Thanks for that Richard. That may explain why clifffaith and I have never heard the term. It would appear that titers are irrelevant for both of us because we have full natural immunity. I know that fact is in my medical record, so the issue has never been raised by my doctor. The fact I had chicken pox did result in her giving me the shingles vaccine, in case the virus decides not to stay dormant.

My mother in the last few months before she died got shingles, as her immune system started to fail. It was not fun!!

Hi CanuckTravlr,

Did you get the new Shingles Vaccine which is a sequence of 2 shots about a month apart? It's rated to be more effective than the older Shingles vaccine.


Richard

 

[rapmarks]

Hi CanuckTravlr,

Did you get the new Shingles Vaccine which is a sequence of 2 shots about a month apart? It's rated to be more effective than the older Shingles vaccine.


Richard

I received the first shot, get the second one the end of September

 

[CanuckTravlr]

Hi CanuckTravlr,

Did you get the new Shingles Vaccine which is a sequence of 2 shots about a month apart? It's rated to be more effective than the older Shingles vaccine.


Richard

I got the Zostavax single shot, because it was about 4 years ago, before Shingrix was available. Efficacy is good for 2 to 4 years on the Zostavax and then it drops off quickly, sometimes sooner, while the Shingrix efficacy seems to drop off much more slowly. I am scheduled to get the new vaccine at my next check-up.

The good news is that in Ontario right now, the Shingrix vaccine is being provided at no charge if you are 65 to 70 years old! I had to pay for the previous vaccine, and I think it was around $175 CAD at the time, but the vaccine cost was covered by my private health plan.

 

[moonstone]

You aren't alone and I am older than you. I have never heard the word before either. Maybe it's a regional term. I am assuming they are referring to the small glass vials that are drawn when doing blood tests? Please correct me if I am mistaken. The specific tests the Doctor has ordered will determine how many vials (titers?) of blood are drawn by the nurse.

As an early baby boomer I have natural immunity to measles, mumps, chicken pox and even rubella (what used to be called the "German" vs. "red" measles). I got the rubella in grade 12. While I was lying sick in bed, my mother mentioned it to our next door neighbour.

She (jokingly) said she would have to send her two older daughters (both around my age, and cute! ) to sleep with me. When my mother related the conversation to me, even feeling as awful as I was, I was so disappointed when I realized their mother was just joking.

Of course, natural immunity was felt to be valuable for young women in those days before the vaccine. Without it, if they happened to later contract the rubella while pregnant, the results could be devastating for the fetus.

I had the 'red' measles before I started school but never got Rubella, the 'German' measles, when my younger sister and brother got them despite me sharing a room with my sister. When any kid on the street got Rubella my mom would send me over to play with them in hopes of me catching them. It never happened. Many years later, after I got married, I suffered a miscarriage. My Dr ordered thorough blood work and discovered that I was a carrier for Rubella which explained why I had never got it. I could only pass it on. She said I could have come in contact with the virus (a co-workers kids had it at the time) which might have caused the miscarriage. I had the vaccination and then after a few months was tested again to make sure I had the immunity. I delivered a healthy baby a year later!


~Diane