I would strongly encourage anybody in the US who is unsure of their vaccination status, never got their second dose as a child, never received it at all, or received it so long ago that...
I would strongly encourage anybody in the US who is unsure of their vaccination status, never got their second dose as a child, never received it at all, or received it so long ago that effectiveness has been lost to consider getting a booster.
I was among the group who never got their second dose, in my case due to parental worries (they saw me feeling bad the following day or two after the first dose and thought it might be a serious reaction), and so I got that taken care of last week.
Everything I read about contracting measles sounds absolutely awful. Having my immune system both suppressed for a year or two following and its memory being wiped would make adult life nigh impossible, you’d be getting sick after every grocery trip. I don’t relish the thought of being a vector for others, either.
Immune memory wiped?! I didn't know that was a thing. I wonder if people with deadly allergies or immune systems that attack themselves might actually want to catch it?
Immune memory wiped?! I didn't know that was a thing. I wonder if people with deadly allergies or immune systems that attack themselves might actually want to catch it?
I don’t have sources handy, but if I recall correctly, contracting measles unfortunately does not impact allergies or autoimmune conditions at all. It selectively eliminates memory of active...
I don’t have sources handy, but if I recall correctly, contracting measles unfortunately does not impact allergies or autoimmune conditions at all. It selectively eliminates memory of active pathogens.
Damn, what a selfish virus. Least it could do is help us in return. :( Just read there's a chance measles will cause "Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis" which is fatal and you might not even...
Damn, what a selfish virus. Least it could do is help us in return. :(
Just read there's a chance measles will cause "Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis" which is fatal and you might not even know about it for years. Measles is apparently not to be trifled with. Q_Q
I think that with how it's been kept under control for so long thanks to vaccines, people have forgotten how serious it can be. I remember that as a kid I always thought the measles sounded silly...
I think that with how it's been kept under control for so long thanks to vaccines, people have forgotten how serious it can be. I remember that as a kid I always thought the measles sounded silly because it rhymed with "weasels". That is honestly the main extent of my knowledge of the measles until recently, since I'd categorized it in my mind as "mostly eradicated" and as a historic disease mainly targeting children in the vein of chicken pox. I doubt I'm alone in that.
I got a booster 10 years ago for a trip to Marin County, California. The antivaxxers back then were rich mommy bloggers. I have two rabies shots to go, then I am going to get my MMR immunity tested.
I got a booster 10 years ago for a trip to Marin County, California. The antivaxxers back then were rich mommy bloggers. I have two rabies shots to go, then I am going to get my MMR immunity tested.
I got bit deep on my hand (and clawed) by a cat I know nothing about. The individual shots aren't bad, they are just normal hypodermics. However I had to have 12 when I went to the emergency room....
I got bit deep on my hand (and clawed) by a cat I know nothing about.
The individual shots aren't bad, they are just normal hypodermics. However I had to have 12 when I went to the emergency room. About 5-6 of those needles went into my hand, into each tooth & claw mark. I had one more shot this past Tuesday ( #13). I get one more tomorrow (#14) and I get the last one next weekend (#15). The ER staff also gave me a tetanus shot and antibiotics to take. Without testing the animal or having veterinarian records it is a 50/50 chance if it gave me rabies or not. Once symptoms appear it is too late.
I've had other people tell me they got bit a strange cat, didn't get treated, didn't get rabies, but did get nasty infections that lasted for a very long time ( yeah antibiotic pills).
The wounds stopped stinging after a few hours and scabbed over quickly. The scabs are turning into skin quickly.
The worst parts of the event were a 3 hour emergency room wait and how badly my shoulder hurt afterwards. I still haven't seen the bill yet and I have a high deductible, so I may add that bill to the "worst parts" list.
I took 2 days off of work because all of those shots at once made me super sleepy, but that wasn't bad. I struggle with insomnia and it felt nice to sleep away most of the day and the night.
That matches my dad's experience after getting bit by a (later confirmed rabid) fox. The night of the ER visit he said they injected stuff directly into the wound until it was flowing out. That...
That matches my dad's experience after getting bit by a (later confirmed rabid) fox. The night of the ER visit he said they injected stuff directly into the wound until it was flowing out. That was the day that I decided I would not like to get bit by a rabid animal.
I'm sorry you went through all of that. It sounds awful. But glad you're nearly through the end of it. And as a bonus, you can go get clawed up by cats for the next two years risk-free!
I'm sorry you went through all of that. It sounds awful. But glad you're nearly through the end of it.
And as a bonus, you can go get clawed up by cats for the next two years risk-free!
I had heard that too. I told the P.A. I was fine unless it was going to be like the scene from 1923. She laughed as she had watched the show too. Medicine has improved the rabies vaccine over the...
I had heard that too. I told the P.A. I was fine unless it was going to be like the scene from 1923. She laughed as she had watched the show too. Medicine has improved the rabies vaccine over the last 100 years. What do you know? :-)
People born before 1957 are considered to have “presumptive evidence” of immunity, because nearly everyone born during this period got the disease during childhood.
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adults born after 1957 should get at least one MMR shot if they have never had the measles or been vaccinated for the disease
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Another group that may be at risk is adults who were immunized between 1963, when the first measles vaccine was approved, and 1967. During that period, some children received an inactivated (killed) measles vaccine that was less effective than the live vaccine. If you know that you got the inactivated vaccine and not the live one, or aren’t sure, you should get at least one dose of the live MMR vaccine, according to the CDC.
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Alternatively, you can talk to your medical provider about having an MMR immunity blood test, which can show whether you have antibodies against measles.
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Those who may not be eligible for the vaccine include people with weakened immune systems and those who have had an organ transplant or are receiving certain medical treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy.
Per my doctor, depending on your insurance options and your ability to get the vaccine, it may be cheaper and quicker to just get a booster rather than doing the titers to see your immunity....
Per my doctor, depending on your insurance options and your ability to get the vaccine, it may be cheaper and quicker to just get a booster rather than doing the titers to see your immunity. That's what she recommended if we started to see issues locally.
I would strongly encourage anybody in the US who is unsure of their vaccination status, never got their second dose as a child, never received it at all, or received it so long ago that effectiveness has been lost to consider getting a booster.
I was among the group who never got their second dose, in my case due to parental worries (they saw me feeling bad the following day or two after the first dose and thought it might be a serious reaction), and so I got that taken care of last week.
Everything I read about contracting measles sounds absolutely awful. Having my immune system both suppressed for a year or two following and its memory being wiped would make adult life nigh impossible, you’d be getting sick after every grocery trip. I don’t relish the thought of being a vector for others, either.
Immune memory wiped?! I didn't know that was a thing. I wonder if people with deadly allergies or immune systems that attack themselves might actually want to catch it?
I don’t have sources handy, but if I recall correctly, contracting measles unfortunately does not impact allergies or autoimmune conditions at all. It selectively eliminates memory of active pathogens.
Damn, what a selfish virus. Least it could do is help us in return. :(
Just read there's a chance measles will cause "Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis" which is fatal and you might not even know about it for years. Measles is apparently not to be trifled with. Q_Q
It really isn’t, which makes the lackidasical treatment it’s been given lately all the more upsetting.
I think that with how it's been kept under control for so long thanks to vaccines, people have forgotten how serious it can be. I remember that as a kid I always thought the measles sounded silly because it rhymed with "weasels". That is honestly the main extent of my knowledge of the measles until recently, since I'd categorized it in my mind as "mostly eradicated" and as a historic disease mainly targeting children in the vein of chicken pox. I doubt I'm alone in that.
I got another fun fact: Did you know that Measles also is the leading cause of blindness in developing countries?
I got a booster 10 years ago for a trip to Marin County, California. The antivaxxers back then were rich mommy bloggers. I have two rabies shots to go, then I am going to get my MMR immunity tested.
... Rabies shots?? What on earth for, aren't those miserable?
I got bit deep on my hand (and clawed) by a cat I know nothing about.
The individual shots aren't bad, they are just normal hypodermics. However I had to have 12 when I went to the emergency room. About 5-6 of those needles went into my hand, into each tooth & claw mark. I had one more shot this past Tuesday ( #13). I get one more tomorrow (#14) and I get the last one next weekend (#15). The ER staff also gave me a tetanus shot and antibiotics to take. Without testing the animal or having veterinarian records it is a 50/50 chance if it gave me rabies or not. Once symptoms appear it is too late.
I've had other people tell me they got bit a strange cat, didn't get treated, didn't get rabies, but did get nasty infections that lasted for a very long time ( yeah antibiotic pills).
The wounds stopped stinging after a few hours and scabbed over quickly. The scabs are turning into skin quickly.
The worst parts of the event were a 3 hour emergency room wait and how badly my shoulder hurt afterwards. I still haven't seen the bill yet and I have a high deductible, so I may add that bill to the "worst parts" list.
I took 2 days off of work because all of those shots at once made me super sleepy, but that wasn't bad. I struggle with insomnia and it felt nice to sleep away most of the day and the night.
That matches my dad's experience after getting bit by a (later confirmed rabid) fox. The night of the ER visit he said they injected stuff directly into the wound until it was flowing out. That was the day that I decided I would not like to get bit by a rabid animal.
I got shot #14 yesterday. I get the last one in a week. I'm told the vaccine last 2 years.
I'm going to be more cautious around cats I don't know.
I'm sorry you went through all of that. It sounds awful. But glad you're nearly through the end of it.
And as a bonus, you can go get clawed up by cats for the next two years risk-free!
They used to give them to you in the stomach. I guess that's not a thing anymore, buy the idea of needles to the stomach sounds nasty.
I had heard that too. I told the P.A. I was fine unless it was going to be like the scene from 1923. She laughed as she had watched the show too. Medicine has improved the rabies vaccine over the last 100 years. What do you know? :-)
Should You Get a Measles Vaccine Booster?
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Per my doctor, depending on your insurance options and your ability to get the vaccine, it may be cheaper and quicker to just get a booster rather than doing the titers to see your immunity. That's what she recommended if we started to see issues locally.