With all of the measles cases, you might be wondering if you have immunity to measles?
Are you worried that you might get measles?
Should you get a booster dose of MMR?
Or a titer test?
How Do You Know If You Have Measles Immunity?
Fortunately, most of us can feel confident that we do have measles immunity and that we won’t get caught up in any of the ongoing outbreaks.
Why?
Because we are vaccinated and protected!
If you haven’t had two doses of MMR (or any measles containing vaccine since 1967), then understand that two doses is your best protection against measles.
Is There a Blood Test for Measles Immunity?
What about titer tests?
While there is a blood or titer test for measles immunity, it isn’t routinely used.
The one situation in which a measles titer test might be useful though, is for those born before 1957 to confirm that they really had measles.
For others considering a titer test in place of vaccination, it is typically better to just get another dose of MMR, but only if you haven’t already had two doses.
Why Was My Measles Titer Negative?
A positive measles titer does mean that you are immune, but what about a negative measles titer?
“For HCP who have 2 documented doses of MMR vaccine or other acceptable evidence of immunity to measles, serologic testing for immunity is not recommended. In the event that a HCP who has 2 documented doses of MMR vaccine is tested serologically and determined to have negative or equivocal measles titer results, it is not recommended that the person receive an additional dose of MMR vaccine. Such persons should be considered to have presumptive evidence of measles immunity. Documented age-appropriate vaccination supersedes the results of subsequent serologic testing.”
Immunization of Health-Care Personnel: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)
If you have had two doses of MMR and have a negative measles titer, you don’t need another dose of MMR. You are likely immune, even with that negative titer.
“Most vaccinated persons who appear to lose antibody show an anamnestic immune response upon revaccination, indicating that they are probably still immune.”
Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
And since you would need a second dose if you had a negative titer after having just one shot, you might as well just get the second dose instead of checking your titer.
Do You Need a Measles Booster?
Have you had two doses of MMR?
If so, then you don’t need another dose.
The second dose isn’t technically a booster anyway. It is just for those who might not have responded to their first dose.
And two doses of MMR are about 97% effective at preventing measles.
That’s why most of the people in measles outbreaks are unvaccianted.
Neither primary nor secondary (waning immunity) vaccine failure are common with the measles vaccine.
What’s the biggest issue with the MMR? Folks who are still too scared to get their kids vaccinated and protected!
More on Measles Immunity
- How Often Should You Do Vaccine Titer Testing?
- Is the MMR Safe for 6-Month-Old Babies?
- Why You Have No Business Skipping the MMR Vaccine?
- Vaccine Titer Testing
- Why Was My Titer Negative After My Chicken Pox Vaccine?
- Did Your Rubella Titer Come Back Negative?
- Did Your Hepatitis B Antibody Test Come Back Negative?
- ACIP – Immunization of Health-Care Personnel: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
- Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
- Have I Been Vaccinated?
- Ask the Experts about MMR
Last Updated on April 6, 2024