28.03.2024

Do I need to get measles vaccine?

The effectiveness of protection after one dose of the vaccine is 93%, after two – 97%. Vaccination does not guarantee absolute protection, but,  according to the pediatrician Sergei Butriy, vaccinated, as a rule, get sick much easier and rarely suffer from complications of the disease.

According to the Russian vaccination calendar, children are vaccinated against measles at 12 months and at six years of age. Depending on the epidemiological situation, the doctor may take the second vaccine earlier (the main thing is that there should be a month between them).

Measles is an extremely contagious viral disease that can lead to serious complications. Anyone who has not been vaccinated and has not previously had measles risks being infected.

Do not be afraid of vaccination – most people do not have any unwanted reactions. However, like any medicine, the vaccine has “side effects”. This, for example, general malaise, redness of the injection site, fever.

Rare complications of vaccination include febrile seizures, and anaphylactic reactions are very rare. But here it must be borne in mind that the likelihood of such complications is extremely small and that a measles vaccine is much safer than the disease itself. And yes, there is no connection between measles vaccine and autism  , this is a myth.

As for adults, if you don’t know whether you were vaccinated as a child or not, get the vaccine ( just one ) and don’t worry. There will be no harm, even if you already have immunity. Although there is another option: you can test for the presence of antibodies to the measles virus (it costs about a thousand rubles). If they do not appear, you need to be vaccinated.

There is no foreign measles vaccine in the country now, and doctors do not advise waiting for it – agree to the Russian one. According to the law, adults under 35 years old and adults from 36 to 55 years old, belonging to risk groups (employees of medical and educational organizations, trade, transport, communal and social sectors), who were not sick, were not vaccinated, were vaccinated once, who did not have information about vaccinations against measles, can be vaccinated in the district clinic for free.

There are few contraindications to the vaccination – pregnancy, a strong allergic reaction to the previous measles vaccine and confirmed severe immunodeficiency (for example, as a result of chemotherapy).

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