Measles outbreak reaches San Marcos. Health officials in Hays County issued a public health alert after a possible measles exposure in the area. Officials say a person who tested positive for the contagious virus visited San Marcos on Friday Feb. 14.
We really needed another problem just down the road.
One dose of MMR vaccine is 93% effective against measles
Two doses of MMR vaccine are 97% effective against measles
…
About 3 out of 100 people who get two doses of MMR vaccine will get measles if exposed to the virus. However, they are more likely to have a milder illness, and are also less likely to spread the disease to other people.
if you have your vaccination records, it’d be good to double-check to make sure that you got both doses. if you missed the 2nd dose, or are missing the records and unsure, you can get a booster at any pharmacy, usually without an appointment, and covered 100% by insurance thanks to the Affordable Care Act.
the vaccine being “only” 97% effective is one of the reasons why herd immunity is so important, especially with a virus like measles that is extremely infectious (R_0 of 12-18 - meaning without any vaccines, 1 infected person would on average spread it to more than a dozen other people)
Thanks for the details! I’m actually not sure if I ever got a second dose of it; I think my mom still has my vaccination records from when I was a child, so I’d have to do some digging to find that out.
from the CDC:
if you have your vaccination records, it’d be good to double-check to make sure that you got both doses. if you missed the 2nd dose, or are missing the records and unsure, you can get a booster at any pharmacy, usually without an appointment, and covered 100% by insurance thanks to the Affordable Care Act.
the vaccine being “only” 97% effective is one of the reasons why herd immunity is so important, especially with a virus like measles that is extremely infectious (R_0 of 12-18 - meaning without any vaccines, 1 infected person would on average spread it to more than a dozen other people)
Thanks for the details! I’m actually not sure if I ever got a second dose of it; I think my mom still has my vaccination records from when I was a child, so I’d have to do some digging to find that out.
Also, the immunity wanes over time. You can get tested for the antibodies and get a booster if necessary.