How important is the MMR booster?

[startouchedtrinity]

My dd1 had the MMR late, just before she started reception. She got a really high temp of 39.5 for a few days' and was really quite unwell. I don't want to put her through that again if it isn't really necssary - I've heard that only 5 % of people need the second MMR. Is that true?

I've head that as well about the 5%. But on the news today it said boosters were important, but then that was a government funded doctor worried about his targets and bonus payments. I dunno.

It's not really a booster, it's a cover-those-it-didn't-work-for-first-time measure, and I presume that for most children it does work to a greater or lesser degree. The only way to know is to have an immunity test, I suppose. ds had the first MMR and was fine, but I was very dubious about it and have decided he's not having the 'booster'. We'll have an immunity test done for measles (rightly or wrongly, measles does scare me) and boost with a single if necessary -then mumps and possibly rubella boosters at age 10 or so.

It wouldn't be offered if it wasn't seen as important.....what if your daughter is part of that 5%? I'd give your gp a call

As a guess - if she had the temp - she must of kicked off her immune system - so I would guess that she will have generated immunity...but don't hold me to that...

5% is 1 in 20.
Measles can cause blindness, brain damage, even death.

At what age to they have the booster?

If she had a high temp it's more likely to have worked. (esp if she had a rash as well). You can get blood tests to check immunity although you might have to pay. Lots of the single jabs clinics offer them for people who don't want to give the booster unecessarily.

A booster may be needed in teenage years. The US introduced one ages ago.

BY the by the child I know who defintely didn't develop immunity after the 1st jab (at least not in a way that coould be measured- blood test came back negative), also didn't develop it after the second.

The single measles jab is slightly more effective in preventing mealses (according to the papers I've read over the years, has a browse a few years ago) although there wasn't that much in it.

Indid Gess - just cos there is no immunity after 1st jab doesn't mean there will be after a second. I have had 3 (or is it 4?) HepB jabs for my jabs and I am still borderline immune. Means I can avoid certain aspects of my job though

I know what measles can cause, o/wise the dcs wouldn't have had the jab. And I know what 5% means.

Dd2 didn't get any reaction at all and our GP assures me that it is just as likely to have worked for her as for dd1. Having seen totally terrified GP trying to get blood out of dd2 I will give immunity testing a miss. The take-up locally is high but regionally is low.

I guess I need to talk to the nurse when ds goes for his MMR.

immunity may decrease with age - I've just remembered that I needed a german measles jab after dd3 was born - they wouldn't let me leave the hospital before I had it - even though I had been immunized back in the 70s

I have natural rubella immunity, but no measels so am thinking about having the MMR myself.