Community Chat

[CHIP62]

@cherry,

My children did I got measles when I was 3 years old and still remember the high fever 🌻

[JustJazzmom]

---

@cherrywrote:

Do you have a lifetime immunity if you had the disease?  My children had chickenpox, there was no shot for it when they were kids. I didn't get it, nor did my husband

---

Yes, you have what is called natural immunity as opposed to the acquired immunity with a measles vaccine. I had the disease when I was 4.

@cherry You can always request your doctor to order a measles titer to see if you DO HAVE immunity against measles. 

The newer & improved vaccine for shingles is Shingrix which we be available starting in April. The older one is called Zostavax.

[JustJazzmom]

---

@aubnwa01wrote:

I was born in 1950 & knew that I had scarlet fever & chicken pox as a child & thought maybe I'd also had measles.  Knew I'd never had the mumps. The only childhood vaccines I'd actually had were for polio & smallpox.

A couple of years ago, there was a local outbreak of measles here in AZ in an ICE detention center.  I asked my dr. if I should get the MMR shot, since I'd never had one.  He had my blood titered & the results came back that I had immunity to rubella, but not measles or mumps.  I had the 1st shot of the MMR (I guess it's a series of 2 shots?)  & was supposed to get the 2nd shot a few weeks later. 

Neither Medicare nor my supplemental insurance would cover the cost, since they considered it a childhood vaccine & something I should have had as a child (even though it wasn't yet available when I was a child) so I got a bill for over $150 for the one shot.  I guess if Medicare doesn't cover something, neither will my Plan F supplemental insurance. 

I paid the amount out of pocket & my dr.'s billing person suggested I at least try to get my Rx coverage to reimburse me for the vaccine itself & I'd just have to eat the cost of the administration of it. She sent me the info on how to send a claim to my Rx coverage.  The Rx coverage did reimburse me for $95.  I've still never had the 2nd MMR shot, I hope the 1st shot gave me enough immunity.  I'm not sure if the 2nd shot is available at a free or reduced rate thru the local public health dept.

---

You would now need to start over with the first shot & follow with the 2nd booster. If you miss the 2nd shot, you need to start over again with shot 1 followed by shot 2. 

[cherry]

My sister recalls me being very sick as a young child. I was covered  with a rash. I don't have any chicken pox scars, so I think it was measles...

[haddon9]

I don't think I had the measles but I did have the mumps ...right before we were to go on vacation which never happened!

  I also got the German measles when I was in jr high.  Went down to the school nurse to show her the spots on my face and she gave me a lecture about acne.  My mother took one look at me and brought me to the doctor who said I had German measles.

[Toppers3]

Hi @cherry,

I was revaccinated many years ago, as I was more than likely one of those children who fell into the age group where the initial vaccination wasn't effective when younger.

I was working with young children at the time, and I had to pass a state physical in order to do that, so I had to be up-to-date on all of my vaccinations.

So, that's when I decided to get the vaccination again for the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella.

I have never had the measles. 

[Noel7]

I've had two different kinds of measles. 

Here is the answer some are looking for:

If you've already had measles, your body has built up its immune system to fight the infection, and you can't get measles again. Most people born or living in the United States before 1957 are immune to measles, simply because they've already had it.May 24, 2014

Measles - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/measles/symptoms.../syc-20374857

And here is the info on the two:

There are two types of measles, each caused by a different virus. Although both produce a rash and fever, they are really different diseases. ... The rubeola virus causes "red measles," also known as "hard measles" or just "measles."

Measles (Rubeola) Symptoms, Causes, Vaccine, Rash & Outbreak

https://www.emedicinehealth.com/measles/article_em.htm

[apple1964]

As a child I remember my parents never caught anything from us kids and we were four children. Not so much as a cold. What a strong, healthy generation that was [sign]

[Noel7]

---

@apple1964wrote:

As a child I remember my parents never caught anything from us kids and we were four children. Not so much as a cold. What a strong, healthy generation that was [sign]

---

They probably had all the typical childhood illnesses when they were kids @apple1964  and had built up immunities.

[beckyb1012]

I had the measles along with Chicken Pox.  I still remember waking up with them as my Mom needed to go to work and took me to her Mom's house, early. I remember Nanny still sleeping and telling me to crawl in bed with her.   She wanted to keep sleeping late on her Monday off from the Beauty Shop.  Curling up in "nanny's bed" made the measles fun.  Then of course all day as the only grandchild with her.