Should older adults get a Measles vaccine booster?

You might receive questions from your patients about whether they should get a measles booster. The answer is, "it depends."

We came across an informative article from Yale Medicine discussing measles outbreaks and identifying some older adults who should get a measles vaccine booster.

Here is a summary:

Measles is highly transmissible, and the vaccine against measles is highly effective. In addition to measles, the live MMR vaccine protects against mumps and rubella.

People born after 1957 should get at least one MMR shot if they have never had measles or been vaccinated for the disease (or aren’t sure if they have). Among these individuals, some should get two MMR shots at least 28 days apart; this includes people at high risk for exposure, such as students at post-secondary institutions, health-care workers, international travelers, and women of childbearing age before they become pregnant.

Adults immunized between 1963 and 1967 should consider getting at least one dose of the live MMR vaccine. During that period, an inactivated (killed) measles vaccine was used, which was less effective than the live vaccine.

MMR is a live vaccine, and some people may not be eligible to receive it. This includes individuals with weakened immune systems, those who have had an organ transplant, or those receiving certain medical treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy.

More information about the MMR vaccine can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/measles/vaccines/index.html

To read the article, please go to: https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/should-you-get-a-measles-vaccine-booster