At least 124 cases have been reported since late January, mostly among children and teenagers who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown.
If you’re unsure of your vaccination status, and Americans born after 1957 and who got their vaccination before 1967, should consider getting a booster shot.
Also, someone who was infectious spent eight hours touring college campuses, six hours in bars and restaurants, and three hours in crowded tourist attractions last weekend. Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known: in a group with no immunity, every person will infect an average of 14 other people. I’m mentioning the campus visitor because they exposed an awful lot of people,a fairly high percentage of whom are likely college students.
The bad news is that the rash that usually lets you know you have measles takes about 14 days to develope - and 14 days from the date of the campus visitor, at least one of the universities starts their spring break. Depending on who got infected and where they go for spring break, this could spread fairly quickly.
If you were vaccinated between 1968 and 1989, you likely received just one dose of the measles vaccine, instead of the two doses that are standard today. One dose alone is highly effective and for most people, it provides more than enough protection, says Dr. Adam Ratner, a pediatric infectious disease specialist in New York City and author of Booster Shots, a book on the history of measles.
But Ratner says there are several situations in which the CDC recommends an additional dose of measles vaccine for adults who are considered at high risk. That includes people who are in college settings, work in health care, live or are in close contact with immunocompromised people, or are traveling internationally.
And if you live in a community that is experiencing a measles outbreak, your local or state health department may recommend a second dose for adults.
If you’re unsure of your vaccination status, and Americans born after 1957 and who got their vaccination before 1967, should consider getting a booster shot.
Also, someone who was infectious spent eight hours touring college campuses, six hours in bars and restaurants, and three hours in crowded tourist attractions last weekend. Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known: in a group with no immunity, every person will infect an average of 14 other people. I’m mentioning the campus visitor because they exposed an awful lot of people,a fairly high percentage of whom are likely college students.
The bad news is that the rash that usually lets you know you have measles takes about 14 days to develope - and 14 days from the date of the campus visitor, at least one of the universities starts their spring break. Depending on who got infected and where they go for spring break, this could spread fairly quickly.
There’s another group of people who might need a booster: