Vaccines






My Measles Story:

If you were born in 1957, it is presumed you had measles and do not need the vaccine.  I was born in 1958 and was always told I had gotten measles as a small child.

Flash forward:

In 1985, I was a medical intern working late at night.  My senior resident called:  “You need to see this.  There is a case of measles in the ER!”  Just as I jumped into the elevator, the “Code Blue” alarm rang.  We all ran to the Code Blue (not in the ER) and worked at the bedside for hours.  By the time we were done, we had forgotten about the case of Measles in the ER.  My guardian angel had saved me.

In 1989, the military placed me on mobility status and gave me tons of vaccines and checked immune titers.  I never saw the results.

As I was applying for hospital privileges in 1992, I needed to provide a document saying I was immune to measles.  I obtained my military records and found, much to my horror, my measles immune titer was ZERO!  I was totally vulnerable to Measles!  

Needless to say, I have gotten my two MMR vaccines.

A surprising number of us born in the late 1950s or 1960s may be vulnerable.

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