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Original poster

Measles as an adult and immunity

23 replies

noyouhavehadawee · 11/03/2013 17:43

So today we have a leaflet about measles from dc school, they are both up to date with MMR etc,,, but how do i know if i am? I have changed docs a few times as a child and adult. I recall standing in a que at school to get TB jab and Rubella but what about measles? DId we get that as children - i was born in 1975..... do adults get the MMR if they not sure?

OP posts:
scaevola · 11/03/2013 17:55

Measles immunisation was definitely around for you (you young thing!); i would ave been a single jab back then. I would have been done by parents taking you to GP/nurse though, not at school.

If you're not sure if you had it, then I should think they'll give you MMR.

bruffin · 11/03/2013 18:04

would have been done by parents taking you to GP/nurse though, not at school.

Not sure as I queued up for it at school but I was part of the catch up programme after it was introduced in 68. I was born in 62 and ended up not having the measles vaccine due to family history of febrile convulsions. I did go on to have measles a few months later which must have been very early 70s.

nextphase · 11/03/2013 18:07

Can you ring up the surgery and ask for your immunisation status?
When I did this for work reasons, I got a print out off all my immunisations - even from birth, through several different counties.

But, yes our letter (we got one too) suggests if your not sure, its better to have one to many than one too few - unless your pregnant / immune suppressed etc

Ring the Drs and have a chat with reception or ask a call back from the nurse. If school or the council are sending out measles letters, they are (hopefully) set up for answering questions.

Original poster
noyouhavehadawee · 11/03/2013 18:11

Thanks, when i googled it said from 1975 which is why i was hmmm, i just asked my mother and she said i went for some 3 in 1 thing with a sugar cube (perhaps she is confusing me with her pet horse), she cant really recall anyway. Rang drs and they are calling me back on thursday as nothing on my file. I do work with the snot brigade (kids) so best to know.

OP posts:
scaevola · 11/03/2013 18:15

The 3-in-1 then was DPT (just before the scandal hit) and the sugar lump was oral polio.

I suppose it might have been in schools later, but in the early 1970s, there were no immunisations carried out in primary schools (rubella single shot done in equivalent of year 7, and BCG is I think year 9).

Original poster
noyouhavehadawee · 11/03/2013 18:17

whats the dpt?

OP posts:
Original poster
noyouhavehadawee · 11/03/2013 18:18

ok i just googled dpt - will await nursey lady ringing me. I would imagine if i was invited as a baby my mum would have taken me.

OP posts:
bruffin · 11/03/2013 19:14

Scaevola that is not true. I most definitely queued up for measles jab in the early 70s. I wasn't given it because of family history but i was old enough to remember being the whole thing very clearly.

The sugar cube was the oral polio vaccine.

bruffin · 11/03/2013 19:19

Scaevola that is not true. I most definitely queued up for measles jab in the early 70s. I wasn't given it because of family history but i was old enough to remember being the whole thing very clearly.

The sugar cube was the oral polio vaccine.

Trazzletoes · 11/03/2013 19:21

I'm a child of the 80s (just) and had measles when I was 3. I clearly wasn't vaccinated against it and my mum would have taken me if it was part of the vaccination programme. I'm quite mystified about that!

By the way, OP, there is a tiny small chance of complications if you have multiple measles vaccines or vaccinate after having measles. I would still get vaccinated anyway (in fact, despite having had measles I've also been vaccinated against it twice!) but you might want to look in to it for your own information.

bruffin · 11/03/2013 19:23

Also rubella was not yr 7 it was at the age 13/14 as i caught rubella from my mum about a month it was due.

scaevola · 11/03/2013 19:29

It cannot have been a nationwide programme then.

It wasn't a jab that was particularly pushed for uptake until the late 70s or early 80s. Perhaps you were in a pilot or an unusually pushy HA area?

I had rubella in year 7; I wonder if there were variations between health authorities? (As for other jabs, it seems).

i did have a heaf test in primary, but that was because there was a case in the school.

bruffin · 11/03/2013 19:53

The hpa figures are for under 2s.
As i said it was most likely a catch programme as there was still a large number of cases of measles and i was one of the cases around 1971/72 just after i was supposed to have the jab.

Toptack · 11/03/2013 19:59

I was born in 1974 - mum mentioned to me last night that I hadn't been given the measles jab because I had baby eczema when I went for the injection. I'm sure that made more sense in 1974...

Original poster
noyouhavehadawee · 14/03/2013 18:03

toptack you going to get the jab ? my gp rang today and recommended i contact my hr department to see if they will fund me one through oc health and if not i contact to ring back and they will book me in with the toddlers Grin . they have no record of me having it though many others.

OP posts:
Toptack · 14/03/2013 19:39

I'm 16 weeks pregnant so probably can't have the jab now... will just have to avoid the infected for the time being . I'll discuss it with the midwife tomorrow.

Original poster
noyouhavehadawee · 14/03/2013 19:56

Aw sorry didn't mean to worry you Smile

OP posts:
KDWandsworth · 16/04/2013 13:36

I think there's a lot of us in the same boat and it's difficult to know whether to worry / ask for MMR or not! I lived in Australia up to 1974 & UK up to 1981 - born 1969 - remember having rubella & BCG (TB) vaccinations in UK before I was 12 - but no idea if I have had anything else. Parents a bit vague too - they know they never refused a vaccine, but don't know what was on offer!

My GP Practice nurse told me to ask my old doctors - as if I would know who they were 40-odd years ago on the other side of the world! Don't remember anyone close to me having measles, but I do remember (vaguely) people at school having it in the 70s.. I seem to be on the borderline of 'you're probably immune' - which won't be a consolation if I catch it! Not working in schools or medicine or on public transport much, otherwise I would definitely ask for MMR..

jazzandh · 16/04/2013 14:10

Well I was born in 1970 and my Mum kept a baby book. I had measles vaccine in 1972.

BushCricket · 17/04/2013 23:18

Born 1963 and we weren't offered measles vaccine. I remember getting rubella jab aged about 11, and a heaf test and bcg a year or so later.

My sister had measles as a child and I caught it as an adult. I also have not had mumps but was told I couldn't get vaccinated for that now.

sashh · 18/04/2013 05:31

It cannot have been a nationwide programme then.

There were quite a few of those in the 1970s. I could have had BCG at 5 but my mother would not consent. Which was a bit daft when her cousin was quite ill with TB around that time.

cansu · 19/04/2013 16:30

I was born in 73 and my mother thought I has been immunised. She was wrong and I caught measles. Very poorly plus developed pneumonia afterwards. If you aren't sure I would get immunised. Having the vaccine twice won't do any harm. I have never been so ill.

digerd · 19/04/2013 20:49

I never had a measles jab but never got it. Did have german measles a few times, mum told me.
DD born in 1965 didn't have it either and got it at 4 years-old and was very very ill.

Don't know what year it was introduced.

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