Who needs a vaccine? Do I need a booster?

Orlando Sentinel

Measles, declared eradicated in the U.S. in 2000, is rising again. Florida’s recent cases have many wondering whether they are safe from the highly infectious disease.

Florida had recorded 10 measles cases in 2024 as of Thursday, according to the state Department of Health’s website. They include nine in Broward County children, mostly linked to local spread at Manatee Bay Elementary School in Weston, and one travel-related case in a Polk County adult.

Orlando Health treated four patients with measles in February at its Central Florida emergency departments, spokesperson Lisa Maria Garza said Thursday. But it’s unclear how many of those cases were reflected on the state website, if any.

AdventHealth Central Florida spokesperson Jeff Grainger declined to say how many measles cases the health system has seen regionally or statewide, referring questions to the health department, but he said AdventHealth has not treated any cases since the outbreak in Weston.

The state’s count does not include every instance where someone with measles was present in Florida. Out-of-state residents who caught the virus elsewhere but were treated here, for instance, are left out of the public tally, spokesperson Weesam Khoury said.

Here are some answers to commonly asked questions.

Q: I’ve already been vaccinated. Do I need a booster?

A: Short answer: no. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers people who received two doses of the measles vaccine as children as protected for life, with up to a 97% rate of protection against infection. The 3 in 100 vaccinated people who do catch measles are more likely to have a mild illness, the CDC reports.

Unvaccinated people are thought to have a 90% chance of catching the virus if exposed.

Q: Who needs a vaccine?

A: The vaccine is recommended

for everyone born after 1956 who has not previously had measles. Those who have had measles are considered immune.

The CDC generally recommends all children get two doses of the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine, at least 28 days apart, with the first dose at 12 through 15 months of age, and the second dose at ages 4 through 6.

The CDC and other major health organizations recommend that adults can and should get vaccinated with at least one dose if they haven’t had measles and haven’t been vaccinated yet, or aren’t sure.

Vaccine side effects are typically mild and pale in comparison to side effects of actually catching the virus. A small number of people may be unable to get the measles vaccine, such as those who have previously had a life-threatening allergic reaction to vaccine ingredients.

The measles vaccine is a live virus vaccine. which means that it shouldn’t be given to pregnant women, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services advises.

Q: Where can I get a vaccine?

A: MMR vaccines are likely available at your pediatrician or primary care doctor’s office as well as local pharmacies, including Walgreens, Publix and CVS, as well as community centers and the local health department. The Florida Department of Health in Orange County Immunization Program is at 832 West Central Blvd., Orlando, FL 32805. Appointments can be made by calling 407-7235004.

Childhood vaccines like MMR are often available for free through initiatives like the federally funded Vaccines for Children Program.

Q: What are the symptoms of measles and what are the greatest dangers? A: Symptoms show up one to two weeks after exposure. Common measles symptoms include a cough, a fever of at least 101 degrees, pink eye and a rash that begins within three to five days after symptoms begin.

Serious and sometimes fatal consequences can occur. Before the vaccine, it’s estimated that 3 million to 4 million people in the U.S. were infected each year, 48,000 were hospitalized, 400 to 500 died and 1,000 had encephalitis (swelling of the brain), which can lead to permanent brain damage, according to the CDC.

Q: How vulnerable is Orange County to an outbreak? A: The statistics suggest there could be a problem. Researchers have established that about 95% of any population needs to be vaccinated against measles to achieve herd immunity.

The most recent data from 2022 says 88.2% of Orange County kindergartners had gotten all their required shots, about 12,000 of the more than 13,600 kids enrolled.

In 2019, researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and Johns Hopkins University ranked Orange No. 14 on a list of U.S. counties most at risk of a measles outbreak, factoring in things such as religious vaccine exemptions and international travel.

Even so, the overall risk of an outbreak, at least for this year, hasn’t been high.

Nationwide, at least 35 measles cases have been reported by 15 states this year, according to the CDC.

Q: Should unvaccinated children stay home from school if an outbreak happens and for how long? A: The CDC recommends unvaccinated children without a history of prior infection stay home from school for 21 days after their most recent exposure, the incubation period for measles.

But Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, the state’s top health official, sent a letter to Manatee Bay families on Feb. 20 reiterating the CDC’s recommendation but telling parents the decision to keep their children home was up to them, bucking typical protocol.