We really needed another problem just down the road.
I got my MMR as a baby because my parents were responsible adults. As far as I can tell, I shouldn’t be at risk, but can those of us who have been vaccinated still be carriers for measles?
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.
Also, the immunity wanes over time. You can get tested for the antibodies and get a booster if necessary.
These are the sorts of questions the layperson has no answers to because it wasn’t at all a fucking problem for a quarter-century. I’m also from a “vaccines avoid future problems” household.
Right?! Like, this was a solved problem. It’s insane that we’re back to this point again.
One thing I’ll say about the christofascists … they certainly like killing their own way more than owning the libs.
Just stop testing and it will go away…