I just watched the episode of “The Pitt” where a young man is brought in with complications from measles. His little sister called 911 when he was struggling and their parents were out. Of course, it turns out he was unvaccinated, and the ER doctors were so upset. When the mother wouldn’t let them do a spinal tap to see what was going on, they about lost it. I cannot imagine how frustrating that must be for doctors.
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There was an ER episode about measles too. A kid was rushed to the ER from daycare and they didn’t know what the problem was because none of the doctors had seen a case. The mother, a lawyer, finally got to the ER and said no, he’s not vaccinated and none of my kids are. The concerns were for the kid but also for the others at the daycare, anyone who had ridden in the ambulance after him, his sister…
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Yes, same in this case. It turns out the younger sister had just recovered from measles but they didn’t know what it was. The mother said, “She was fine!” Uh, yeah, but your son will be lucky to live IF we treat him… Good lord, it’s scary knowing there are really people out there like that.
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The recent season of Call The Midwife had an episode where a young boy had the measles pre-vaccine (196?) and ended up with a brain infection that led to brain damage. As local residents were indifferent to a clinic for the new vaccine the mother spoke up about how she wished there had been a vaccine for her son.
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The first measles vaccines became available in the US in 1963. Both live and the less effective inactivated vaccines were available until 1967, after which only the live vaccine was available.
People whose only vaccination against measles was in 1963-1967 and do not know that they got the live vaccine may want to get boosted or check titer.
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Yes I fall into those years, and my titer showed that I do not have immunity. I had the first shot and my PCP said I could get another titer to see if that was sufficient but I’m just going to get the second booster to be sure.
From NYT
Kennedy Orders Search for New Measles Treatments Instead of Urging Vaccination
Decades of research have turned up no miracle treatment for measles, but studies show the M.M.R. shot is 97 percent effective in preventing the disease.
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Well that should require funding research?
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It would also require believing in SCIENTIFIC results of real studies rather than “because I said so.”
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Some charlatans will get the finding, you bet.
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Yes, and it’s playing Russian Roulette with both your own children and everyone else.
And it’s not just the mortality rate, I went to college with someone (who is now in their early 50s), who contracted measles as an infant, and as a result lost 90% of their hearing and has needed to wear hearing aids their entire life.
There are so many reasons for everyone to be vaccinated, and beyond protecting one’s self, it’s essential to stop it from circulating in the community.
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It’s so sad that we are losing “herd immunity” for measles and who knows what else before things improve. I’m very concerned, as someone who is getting older and not sure how well my immunities work and also concerned about those who can’t vaccinate because they’re too young, because they’re immunocompromised, or for a whole host of excellent reasons. This is beyond catastrophic!
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Case in St. Louis: Possible measles exposure at St. Louis Aquarium, DHSS says
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Welp, thanks to this thread, I got my measles titer, and it turns out I am negative. Vaccine scheduled for next week.
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My doctor asked me why I wanted a titer. I told her because I was traveling, but really I wanted to say “Don’t you pay attention to the news? It’s only a matter of time before the measles will be everywhere.”
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Our internists immediately ordered titers then we requested them. My sibs had no trouble getting theirs either.
Are those who are getting titers tests and showing no immunity people who had the measles as a child, those vaccinated in the 1960s when the immunizations weren’t live, or those who had two vaccinations that just didn’t ‘take’? I’m reading the immunity is supposed to last for life (other than the 2 in 1960s group), but it seems like more than I’d expect are showing no immunity after titers.
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Many of us are in the group of folks born in late fifties, early sixties, who may not have had measles before getting the early vaccine, which was not as good as later ones. This age range has specifically been advised to check titers or just get the vaccine.
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Actually a lack of antibodies in a titer may or may not accurately represent a person’s actual immunity. If you show antibodies, great. But if you don’t it’s not necessarily inductive of a lack of immunity.
Well may be true, but I didn’t have measles and and had the earlier, presumably less effective over time vaccine, and I have no other way to know if I do have immunity, so I’m gonna go ahead and get the vaccine. In these times, seems prudent.
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