Are you a young Boomer or older Gen Xer?

[REP]

• Was your sixth birthday before or in 1971?

• Do you have a chronic health condition, such as asthma, diabetes, MS, etc?

• Do you live in California or Illinois?

If your answer to all or most of these questions is yes, consider asking your doctor about having your measles, mumps and roseola (rubella) titres checked to see if you've retained your immunity. If your seventh birthday was before 1989 and you have a chronic health condition, it might be worth getting checked as well - the second booster was added in 1989 as not everyone developed full immunity with the first shot.

My answers are all yes, and I had mine checked - I've lost my immunities, so I'm getting a booster MMR. This is a time when I'm happy to join the herd!

ETA: if your coverage is through ACA, immunization is considered preventive care and is no cost.

[jwirr]

1. Why just CA or IL? We have measles in MN also.

[REP]

2. Those states have the highest number of cases

But as I said, if your answer is yes to all of most of the questions, talk to your doc about getting your titres checked!

[jwirr]

4. I will.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

3. Not your tires. Your titres. As in "titration".

We learned about that in chemistry class.

[REP]

5. Check your glasses :-)

Yes I know the difference and I can spell, too. But bless your heart.

[JustAnotherGen]

6. 1973

Not sure about my peers - but I went through additional vaccinations in my early 30's.

[REP]

7. My horrible thumb injuries keep me current on my TDaP

Though after on particularly bad one (partially severed it), I thought I'd outsmart myself and get the next booster without the injury but nope. A few years later, a thumb injury so bad it nearly killed me and I was given another booster, just in case.

[JustAnotherGen]

20. Yikes!

I have an autoimmune disease so I have to keep up on them. The only thing I didn't do this year was the flu. Took it last year and pneumonia, MRSA, keep going . . . Doctor said no this year because my white blood cell count was up too high.

[REP]

21. Yikes right back atchya!

MRSA is some nasty, nasty stuff. I hope you're doing well!

I'm immunocompromised due to Stage 3 non-diabetic CKD, and I'm also diabetic so I try to keep on top of my jabs. That was the only good thing about becoming diabetic - I got the pneumovax. Before that, it seemed like I got pneumonia every year.

[TBF]

8. Yes to 2

But not in those 2 states. I'll ask my primary. I had those vaccines a long time ago since I was born mid 60s.

[REP]

13. The outbreak is widespread but worse in those two states

I'm in California, where I've been exposed to pertussis numerous times (the sound of the cough is unmistakable and unforgettable). My TDaP is current and soon my MMR will be, too.

Beautiful state, lovely weather but lots of free-range dumb.

[sinkingfeeling]

9. My 6th. birthday was in 1954, but 'no' to the other two questions.

[RebelOne]

10. No problem here. I was born in 1939

and have had measles twice when I was a child.

[REP]

11. Yikes

Measles sound just terrible.

I had chickenpox when I was 16. I'm eager to avoid any 'childhood' illness after that.

[RebelOne]

19. Chickenpox is no fun either.

I had that when I was 12 and my 2 younger sisters had measles at the same time. My mother really had her hands full then.

[REP]

22. No it wasn't!

I had a pretty bad case (sores everywhere, including all mucus membranes) and I had a documented case of Russian flu at the same time. I had to take ice baths to bring down my temperature, and I was hallucinating due to the fever. I was reading The Shining at the time, and thanks to the fever, nothing will ever be more disturbing than what I think I read

[Ms. Toad]

12. The titer test is likely not considered preventative care, though.

I did hear an often repeated statistic that I find unbelievable - that if you were born before 1957 you have almost certainly had the measles. (And it seems to have come from reputable sources - including the CDC.) I was born in 1956, and my brother a year earlier. Neither of us have had the measles.

I'd buy probably, or very likely - but not the level of certainty with which I've seen it asserted.

[REP]

14. It is under my non-ACA Medicare plan

I'm sure it varies from plan to plan and doctor to doctor, but as I understand it, having the titres done is part of the routine, preventative care.

[dmr]

15. I had the mumps & measles in May, 1958

Don't know which I had first, but I was one sick little 5 year old. I also had tonsillitis sometime that May/June time frame. I missed my kindergarten graduation & my 6th birthday. Boo hoo.

The worse was I lost my hearing in my right ear. Nerve damage.

My parents were beside themselves with worry. When the polio vaccine became available they couldn't get that sugar cube in me fast enough.

I have stage IV breast cancer & CHF, so I think it's a good idea to check with my doctor about a booster.

Thanks for the heads up.

[REP]

16. I bet you're immune but better safe than sorry

You've got way too much going on to worry about measles again. I hope you're doing well.

[peacebird]

26. Just having measles/mumps/chicken pox does not automatically make you immune. I had all three

As a child in theblate 50's and early 60's, plus german measles and I got the measels *again* when my son caught them in the mid 80's. And yes, he was vaccinated.
Some of us don't get immunity.....

[REP]

30. A second booster of the MMR was introduced in 1989 for that reason

Not everyone retained full immunity with one dose of the MMR, and those vaccinated with the older vaccine lost their immunity.

[AwakeAtLast]

17. We had a small outbreak a few years ago

in Indiana. All of the teachers in my age range (I'm 45), had to get a booster unless we could prove we had received two shots.

Glad I received the booster then, I think everyone should consider it.

[REP]

18. I'm kicking my own dumb thread because I think this is mildly important

[peacebird]

27. I got the TDaP shot last fall because my son wanted me to have it before his baby was born....

Got my first ever flu shot for the same reason.

K&R, topic IS important. I would not have thought about this as an adult.....

[MiniMe]

23. I had measles and mumps as a child in California

Had Chicken Pox too, and scarlett fever. Rubella is the only one that I never had as far as I know.

[Warren DeMontague]

24. Yeah, not a bad idea.

No chronic health issues but I'm old enough I probably should look into it.

[a la izquierda]

25. I was born in '77

And had a booster in 2007, before extended travel to Latin America.

The shot made my deltoid muscle seize, and I passed out. I'm covered in tattoos, so it was particularly embarrassing for me.

[REP]

29. The tetanus booster always makes me sick

When I partially severed my thumb, the tetanus shot was the most painful part of the whole ordeal, since I'd severed the nerves in the thumb. Still better than risking lockjaw.

And I'm not a tattoo expert, but I'm pretty sure the needles don't go all the way into the muscle. Not 100% on that though

[a la izquierda]

31. Tattoo needles don't, that's for sure.

But I was still pretty embarrassed that a two-second vaccination made me pass out. The nurse didn't know what to do with the pile that was me on the floor. Good times.

I also pass out when I have to go through the battery of glaucoma testing twice a year (thanks to genetics I'm a pre-glaucoma candidate). As soon as they touch my eye during the corneal thickness test, down I go. I have a pretty weak vaso-vagal response to certain things I guess.

[REP]

32. You're not alone there

When I was 18 months old, I tore my cornea on the crown of my father's watch and needed to have it debrided. Ever since then, I've had a deep fear of anything or anyone going near my eyes. So of course, I have a variety of things that require a lot of extensive eye exams (including blepharitis, which means my corneas get a lot of abrasions). I start white knuckling it when the eye drops go in. I don't have a physical reaction - just an illogical fear reaction.

I'd rather have a root canal than an eye appointment!

[ladyVet]

28. I'm considered a young boomer (born in 1958).

I had German measles and mumps as a child, but nothing else, according to my mother. I suspect I had chicken pox misdiagnosed as poison ivy, because I've been exposed to chicken pox numerous times and never got it. I suspect I have fibromyalgia, but haven't been able to get a doctor to properly test.

I'm not too worried about boosters, as I got a lot of jabs in the military, which should be good for the rest of my life.