A little bit about Measles and why prevention is important…

Measles, also known as Rubeola, is a highly contagious disease that, until 2020, was eradicated from the United States due to our highly successful vaccination campaign. We are currently experiencing several outbreaks, especially one in Texas and neighboring New Mexico. One child has died in Texas and two adults in New Mexico as of this writing.

It is important to know a few things about measles:

• It is HIGHLY contagious.
  
  
• It can cause complications which result in lifelong damage or death, including brain inflammation (encephalitis) and pneumonia, especially in children.
  
  
• It is not the same as Rubella, which is sometimes called German Measles. If you were born after 1957 and before 1971 and think you had measles, it may have been German Measles, a different (and generally milder) virus that poses risks primarily to pregnant mothers and their unborn children.
  
  
• The MMR vaccine works to prevent Measles, Mumps, and Rubella. The MMRV vaccine adds protection against Varicella (chickenpox).
  
  

Medical experts recommend that you get revaccinated if you received a measles vaccine between 1957 and 1968, as the version used during that period was not as effective as the one in use today, which includes two doses.

If you’re unsure when or which measles vaccine you received—especially if you were vaccinated between 1957 and 1968—you can have a blood test to check your measles titre. A titre measures the level of antibodies in your blood, which tells you whether you have immunity to a specific disease. If your antibody levels are high enough, you're considered immune and will not need another vaccine. Typically, titres for Measles, Mumps, and Rubella are checked together in the same test.

Even the Secretary of HHS, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.—a noted vaccine skeptic—has endorsed the measles vaccine. Please, if you and your children are not vaccinated, for your health and the health of those around you who may be vulnerable, get vaccinated against measles as soon as possible.

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With concern for the health of everyone,
Lee