PSA: I’m turning 55 next month, and there’s an issue with people who got vaccinated for measles around the same time I did as a kid having waning immunity.
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PSA: I’m turning 55 next month, and there’s an issue with people who got vaccinated for measles around the same time I did as a kid having waning immunity. I got tested and it turned out I had no immunity, so I got revaccinated this week. Don’t listen to the science deniers: measles is not a trivial disease if you’re 5 or 55 and we can no longer rely on herd immunity.
It's not your age, at least that's not the whole story.
In your age group, you only got vaccinated once - it was believed to be sufficient back then. Today, there are two measles vaccinations which has been proved to be much better/longer lasting.
Still, the result is the same - better get vaccinated one time more often than not!
@overholt -
PSA: I’m turning 55 next month, and there’s an issue with people who got vaccinated for measles around the same time I did as a kid having waning immunity. I got tested and it turned out I had no immunity, so I got revaccinated this week. Don’t listen to the science deniers: measles is not a trivial disease if you’re 5 or 55 and we can no longer rely on herd immunity.
@overholt We looked back through my records recently and discovered there was no record of my MMR, so I got one. (Mom would have been very pregnant with my sister at that point, So it's not shocking it fell through the cracks.)
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PSA: I’m turning 55 next month, and there’s an issue with people who got vaccinated for measles around the same time I did as a kid having waning immunity. I got tested and it turned out I had no immunity, so I got revaccinated this week. Don’t listen to the science deniers: measles is not a trivial disease if you’re 5 or 55 and we can no longer rely on herd immunity.
@overholt
Something I learned from a pharmacist (I'm in a cohort just a bit older than you, and was unsure if I'd been vaccinated as a child) is: when in doubt, get the vaccine — an extra dose is not a problem (one extra dose ≠ overvaccination, with many doses of the same vaccine). From CHOP — Children's Hospital of Philadelphia:
https://www.chop.edu/vaccine-education-center/vaccine-safety/other-vaccine-safety-concerns/dosing-safety -
@overholt consider getting the SHINGRIX vaccine for Shingles too, which will also protect you against Ramsay Hunt Syndrome. I had that, you don’t want it.
@stevenray Already did!
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PSA: I’m turning 55 next month, and there’s an issue with people who got vaccinated for measles around the same time I did as a kid having waning immunity. I got tested and it turned out I had no immunity, so I got revaccinated this week. Don’t listen to the science deniers: measles is not a trivial disease if you’re 5 or 55 and we can no longer rely on herd immunity.
@overholt my husband just did that
of all the things we don't need, measles is high on the list!
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PSA: I’m turning 55 next month, and there’s an issue with people who got vaccinated for measles around the same time I did as a kid having waning immunity. I got tested and it turned out I had no immunity, so I got revaccinated this week. Don’t listen to the science deniers: measles is not a trivial disease if you’re 5 or 55 and we can no longer rely on herd immunity.
@overholt Got an MMR booster last fall (2024) as well. With overall population vaccination levels being too low to stop outbreaks, the next best option is for those who are vaccinated to ensure their immune response is strong and not waned over multiple decades.
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@scottmiller42 @overholt I got my chickenpox and measles mixed up. My mistake
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PSA: I’m turning 55 next month, and there’s an issue with people who got vaccinated for measles around the same time I did as a kid having waning immunity. I got tested and it turned out I had no immunity, so I got revaccinated this week. Don’t listen to the science deniers: measles is not a trivial disease if you’re 5 or 55 and we can no longer rely on herd immunity.
@overholt Another good reason to also get the Shingrix shot. There's some evidence that it's protective against dementia.
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@overholt
Something I learned from a pharmacist (I'm in a cohort just a bit older than you, and was unsure if I'd been vaccinated as a child) is: when in doubt, get the vaccine — an extra dose is not a problem (one extra dose ≠ overvaccination, with many doses of the same vaccine). From CHOP — Children's Hospital of Philadelphia:
https://www.chop.edu/vaccine-education-center/vaccine-safety/other-vaccine-safety-concerns/dosing-safety@RunRichRun @overholt I'm probably slightly older than either of you and I expected that Kaiser would give me a new pair of shots to supplement my single early-1960s one without question but they insisted on checking my titer and in fact I had no immunity. I might have had mild side effects but nothing literally memorable.
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@overholt This is really interesting. I'm wondering if anyone who's replied is in the UK? We can't just request vaccines on the NHS, for example I wasn't eligible for a free flu jab this year, but this is something I could look into getting done privately, esp as I have a health plan through work instead of a pay rise
@callunavulgaris @overholt I got measles vaccination at Boots just a few weeks ago, cost was about 30 pounds I think.
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PSA: I’m turning 55 next month, and there’s an issue with people who got vaccinated for measles around the same time I did as a kid having waning immunity. I got tested and it turned out I had no immunity, so I got revaccinated this week. Don’t listen to the science deniers: measles is not a trivial disease if you’re 5 or 55 and we can no longer rely on herd immunity.
I was born mid 60’s and just got the vax again. No sense risking it!
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PSA: I’m turning 55 next month, and there’s an issue with people who got vaccinated for measles around the same time I did as a kid having waning immunity. I got tested and it turned out I had no immunity, so I got revaccinated this week. Don’t listen to the science deniers: measles is not a trivial disease if you’re 5 or 55 and we can no longer rely on herd immunity.
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PSA: I’m turning 55 next month, and there’s an issue with people who got vaccinated for measles around the same time I did as a kid having waning immunity. I got tested and it turned out I had no immunity, so I got revaccinated this week. Don’t listen to the science deniers: measles is not a trivial disease if you’re 5 or 55 and we can no longer rely on herd immunity.
@overholt I am reading responses to this thread and would like to refer people to the CDC website on FAQs regarding whether or not adults need more than 2 MMR vaccines. Most adults do not need more than 2 MMR vaccines and titers are NOT recommended. The exception is for adults vaccinated with the killed vaccine between 1963 and 1967: https://www.cdc.gov/measles/hcp/clinical-overview/questions.html
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PSA: I’m turning 55 next month, and there’s an issue with people who got vaccinated for measles around the same time I did as a kid having waning immunity. I got tested and it turned out I had no immunity, so I got revaccinated this week. Don’t listen to the science deniers: measles is not a trivial disease if you’re 5 or 55 and we can no longer rely on herd immunity.
@overholt i got tested recently in my early 40s and apparently i still have immunity. i would have preferred to just get a booster, but my dr didn't want to do that.
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@overholt I am reading responses to this thread and would like to refer people to the CDC website on FAQs regarding whether or not adults need more than 2 MMR vaccines. Most adults do not need more than 2 MMR vaccines and titers are NOT recommended. The exception is for adults vaccinated with the killed vaccine between 1963 and 1967: https://www.cdc.gov/measles/hcp/clinical-overview/questions.html
@overholt I attended a clinician CDC webinar update on measles on 9/11/25 and asked this titer question specifically. The CDC response was: “CDC considers most people with documentation of 2 doses of MMR received after 12 months of age, and separated by at least 28 days, to have evidence of measles immunity…” 1/2
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PSA: I’m turning 55 next month, and there’s an issue with people who got vaccinated for measles around the same time I did as a kid having waning immunity. I got tested and it turned out I had no immunity, so I got revaccinated this week. Don’t listen to the science deniers: measles is not a trivial disease if you’re 5 or 55 and we can no longer rely on herd immunity.
@overholt and in the US they started to do a second one to reach high enough percent for herd immunity in 1989 - it was waning too much with age with just one. So even folk in their 30s should check their records and make sure they got two, and if not, titer to make sure you still have immunity. Or if you are worried just get a titer!
#vaccines #mmr -
@overholt I attended a clinician CDC webinar update on measles on 9/11/25 and asked this titer question specifically. The CDC response was: “CDC considers most people with documentation of 2 doses of MMR received after 12 months of age, and separated by at least 28 days, to have evidence of measles immunity…” 1/2
@overholt “CDC does not recommend people who meet these criteria to be vaccinated with MMR even if they have a negative or equivocal result for a measles IgG test. Documented age-appropriate vaccination supersedes the results of subsequent serologic testing. However, if the person tested is a woman of reproductive age and could become pregnant and has a negative or equivocal titer for rubella, they should get a third dose of MMR. For more information, visit https://www.cdc.gov/measles/hcp/clinical-overview/questions.html” 2/2
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PSA: I’m turning 55 next month, and there’s an issue with people who got vaccinated for measles around the same time I did as a kid having waning immunity. I got tested and it turned out I had no immunity, so I got revaccinated this week. Don’t listen to the science deniers: measles is not a trivial disease if you’re 5 or 55 and we can no longer rely on herd immunity.
@overholt I had measles and mumps as a child in the 1950s. It's been my understanding that I was protected for life afterwards. Is this no longer considered true?
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PSA: I’m turning 55 next month, and there’s an issue with people who got vaccinated for measles around the same time I did as a kid having waning immunity. I got tested and it turned out I had no immunity, so I got revaccinated this week. Don’t listen to the science deniers: measles is not a trivial disease if you’re 5 or 55 and we can no longer rely on herd immunity.
@overholt Interesting. I'm a few years older than you. I didn't know about this. I'll ask my doctor at my next appointment.
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It's not your age, at least that's not the whole story.
In your age group, you only got vaccinated once - it was believed to be sufficient back then. Today, there are two measles vaccinations which has been proved to be much better/longer lasting.
Still, the result is the same - better get vaccinated one time more often than not!
@overholt@andi
In some countries it could be the age- age at vaccination. For a few years in New Zealand, just over 50 years ago, it was on the schedule as a single dose at 10 months. We now know that maternal antibodies can still be present in the infant at that age resulting in a reduced immune response. Vaccinating kids that young is now only done to protect them from an outbreak, and we call it dose zero and still give 2 more later on.
@overholt
