🔘 If you were born after 1989: You probably have had 2 doses of MMR unless your access to health care has been sporadic, especially in childhood. A booster is less urgent, but you may want to get your blood work done to see if you're still immune.
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People vaccinated before 1968 got the first version of MMR, which was an inactivated-virus vaccine that is less effective over time and wears off people more often. You still may be a little protected, but it's not guaranteed. Just get a booster.
A second dose of MMR was added to the schedule in 1987 for 2-year-olds, and people who were older than 2 may not have gotten that second dose, especially if you never went to college. The second dose adds a very critical few percentage points of vaccine effectiveness (VE).
Colleges knew a lot of people born before 1989 didn't get both MMR doses, so many started requiring proof of 2 doses. A lot of GenXers got their second MMR at 18 for college, but not every college required it. Don't count on hazy memory! Get titers or a booster.
On this point, when I was at college in NC in 1990, there was a measles outbreak in the state. The school made all students born before 1970 get a shot - across the board.
Good to know. Thanks for all of this information! I was born in the 80s. Had to have a MMR booster before I went to college (state schools in my state required it at the time). Got another MMR booster in my early 30s because I think my doctor assumed I'd only had one dose. Extra boosted!
Yeah, I have had either 3 or 4 doses of MMR -- we weren't sure if I had the second childhood dose so I got one at 18 to enroll in college, and that doctor didn't document it properly so I had to have it again at like 25 to enroll in college again, heh
I (born 1984) have a record of a single childhood dose, but I remember needing some vaccines for college but don’t have a record. I’m operating on the assumption that one of them must’ve been MMR because I got my titers checked and they’re great, which I wouldn’t expect from the one childhood dose.
❓ I can't afford the titer test / my doctor won't order one, should I just get a booster?
There is a very tiny risk to every vaccine, but that risk is very small for the MMR and the risk of measles in an outbreak (like now) is much worse. If you were born 1957-1989, I would get the booster. (con't)
If you were born after 1989 and/or have documented proof of 2 doses of MMR, it's up to you. I am worried about shortages because of increased demand, personally: I would not get a booster unless there were cases reported in my state.
The ACA does require insurance to pay for vaccines that are on the schedule, and an adult MMR booster is on the schedule "if indicated" (the "indicated") is the age flowchart above). Some insurance will only cover vaccinations given at an actual doctor's office.
MMR vaccines weren’t available in the US until late 1971. Before that it was three separate shots. My sister got MMR but I had the three jabs. (Measles vaccine came in 1963, mumps vaccine in ‘67, and rubella vaccine in ‘69. So the three jab version was in a very short timespan.)
If you have no proof of vaccination and think it's likely you weren't, they'll usually recommend 2 doses at least 4 weeks apart. If you attended public schools and you don't remember there being a fight about your vaccination/you weren't part of specific religious groups opposed to vaccination--
--chances are good you had *one* dose if you were born before the late 80s/early 90s when antivaxxers started making it easier to get non-religious exemptions from public school vaccine mandates, but if you don't want to count on that, go for the 2 doses. Otherwise one is probably okay.
For you in particular, if you remember the various states you lived in, you might want to check with the state immunization databases (and a lot of them share records) -- not every pediatrician provided records to them but it can help. Your doctor may be able to look them up, too.
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People vaccinated before 1968 got the first version of MMR, which was an inactivated-virus vaccine that is less effective over time and wears off people more often. You still may be a little protected, but it's not guaranteed. Just get a booster.
A second dose of MMR was added to the schedule in 1987 for 2-year-olds, and people who were older than 2 may not have gotten that second dose, especially if you never went to college. The second dose adds a very critical few percentage points of vaccine effectiveness (VE).
Colleges knew a lot of people born before 1989 didn't get both MMR doses, so many started requiring proof of 2 doses. A lot of GenXers got their second MMR at 18 for college, but not every college required it. Don't count on hazy memory! Get titers or a booster.
There is a very tiny risk to every vaccine, but that risk is very small for the MMR and the risk of measles in an outbreak (like now) is much worse. If you were born 1957-1989, I would get the booster. (con't)
The ACA does require insurance to pay for vaccines that are on the schedule, and an adult MMR booster is on the schedule "if indicated" (the "indicated") is the age flowchart above). Some insurance will only cover vaccinations given at an actual doctor's office.
People born in 89 would be 2 in 91 - well after the 2nd dose was added to the schedule.
Context: the "sporadic" healthcare mentioned above + missing records.
My mom wasn't antivax but she was a bit of a hippie who moved around a lot, so I suspect it's pretty likely I fell thru the cracks.