You would have to be living in a cave - and without a news source of any kind - to not know that we are currently under a measles outbreak in the United States.  In fact, with more than 700 confirmed cases already, 2019 is poised to rank as one of the worst outbreak years in generation.

But, I thought we had a vaccine for this?  We do.  However, more than two-thirds of the reported cases have come from people who haven't been.  Add that statistic to the growing number of people who are - for a variety of reasons - forgoing vaccinations, and medical officials are very concerned about measles regaining a foothold in the United States - a country which has all but irradiated the disease by the 1970's and 1980's.

Since most people who get vaccinated for diseases would have received theirs when they were much younger (in fact, probably when they were too young to remember it at all), many people have been scrambling trying to determine whether or not they ever received the vaccination.

The easiest way of determining this is to access your actual medical records.  For some this is an easy task - but for others, their medical records are a patchwork of lost clinics, forgotten doctors, etc.

If you can access your actual medical records - great.  Just check the data for an entry that says "MMR" or "MMRV".  The MMR vaccine protects against measles, mumps, and rubella - while the MMRV vaccine adds immunization against varicella - otherwise known as chickenpox.

If you can't find your medical records, relax.  The anti-vaccination really didn't gain a large foothold in our country until the last 10 or 15 years. More than likely, you did get the vaccine.  There is an article that helps break down the timeline as to when and who would have received the MMR or MMRV vaccination - and it makes an interesting read.

Bottom line - if you're concerned, ask your current doctor.  They'll be able to help you assess your risks and determine your best practice forward.

 

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