Measles - if not immunised what can I do to help myself?

[misslissa]

Following on from my panic about this measles outbreak I've calmed down a tiny bit. Cried lots last night with worry. Anyway, I'm going to ring my docs tomorrow and check out everything I am immunised against, fingers crossed my mum just forgot and I am immunised, I don't think she'd forget though...

If I'm not, what things would you ladies do to try and keep yourself safe? I mean would you avoid certain situations socially, avoid going on the train etc? Would you try and boost your immune system with foods etc?

Or to you think just carry on and try to put it out of your mind?

Also I don't understand why you are checked at initial bloods for German measles immunity but not other things? (I am covered for GM thankfully) you would think you'd be checked for everything. Plus my doc knew I was TTC for 18 months, do they not check these sorts of things? Obviously not I suppose.

Another thing, my brother who is 2 years older than me had GM as a baby but also had measles when he was a few years old, I would have been around then so surely I would have caught it unless I was immunised wouldn't I?

I know I'm doing my own head in worrying about this, I'm either immune or not but I can't help it. I think it's because I was commuting daily on the train which is the direct South Wales - Manchester train until last week and people in my office are back and forth to SW too.

Final question, could someone who is immune still pass measles on to me if they have been in contact with someone with it? Or can you only catch it if you yourself are in direct contact with someone who has it?

 

[amjon]

The shot for measles and rubella are the same so if you are immune from the shot you should be for measles as well.

 

[MindUtopia]

Yes, what the above poster said. If you are immune to rubella (and you haven't had it), then you are immune to measles because they are the same jab. MMR stands for Measles, Mumps and Rubella. Almost everyone had them growing up at our age (I'm 32) unless your parents specifically opted out for some reason, so more than likely your mum just doesn't remember. The reason they check for Rubella immunity is because it can actually harm your unborn baby if you get it, whereas measles is less likely to cause any problems. Your baby won't get the shot until 12/13 months old, but if you breastfeed, then some of your immunity will pass through in your breastmilk. Otherwise, unless you live in South Wales, I wouldn't worry too much about it. There is always measles going around and you haven't caught it yet, so you are unlikely to now unless you live in an area where there is a high proportion of cases or you have close contact with someone who has it. You would be unlikely to just pick it up through causal contact, say at the supermarket. Just wash your hands, avoid anyone who seems ill (like family members), and just generally try to stay healthy and take care of yourself and you'll likely be just fine.

 

[misslissa]

Thank you both, are you sure the rubella covers measles and German measles? That's fantastic if its defo the case. If so why on earth didn't my midwife tell me that yesterday instead if saying "nothing we can do for you". I had the rubella jab at about 11yrs old at school, I remember having it done and my midwife notes say its ok. Well it says in my notes Rubella antibodies - present so that's ok I assume?

 

[summer rain]

There was a seperate measles jab and seperate rubella jab still on offer as a booster for older children and teenagers until the late 90s so depending on your age the jab you had at school may have been a single jab. Rubella and measles are completely different illnesses so the rubella jab did not protect against measles at all. I know the licence on the NHS for the single measles jab was withdrawn in 1998, not sure about the rubella but it was at a similar time. I was born in the very early 80s and I not only had all the single jabs but when the MMR came in I had at least one dose of that too, and later on when I was about 14 I had single measles as there was another outbreak in the mid-90s. I managed to get rubella twice though despite being immunised against it on more occasions than most, for some reason the rubella element of the vaccines didn't work on me but catching the disease seems to have done as I am lifelong immune to it now. With the measles it is very contagious but some people coming into contact with it even if not vaccinated will never contract the disease and similarly some of those who have been immunised can contract the disease and pass it on, but it should be a milder illness. I wouldn't worry about it too much xx

 

[misslissa]

I was born in 1980 and the rubella jab was done in about 1991-92.

I don't know, I'm just going to have to hope I'm covered and get on with things. It's all pretty scary to me though.

 

[Lawgirl]

I was researching this the other day and mmr did not come in until 1988. Before that they gave single vaccinations for measles, mumps and rubella. I asked my mum today and she said she couldn't remember what I had, just that I had had everything offered.

 

[amjon]

I was researching this the other day and mmr did not come in until 1988. Before that they gave single vaccinations for measles, mumps and rubella. I asked my mum today and she said she couldn't remember what I had, just that I had had everything offered.

I had MMR before that (probably around 1982).

 

[sue_88]

I was researching this the other day and mmr did not come in until 1988. Before that they gave single vaccinations for measles, mumps and rubella. I asked my mum today and she said she couldn't remember what I had, just that I had had everything offered.

I had MMR before that (probably around 1982).

In the UK, the MMR was not introduced until 1988. Before that it was single jabs for each.

The US is different to the UK.