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A measles outbreak in west Texas is growing rapidly, and with kindergarten vaccination rates dipping, more communities may be at risk of outbreaks. But it is not just kids who should be vaccinated, some adults may need a booster too. NPR's Maria Godoy reports.
MARIA GODOY, BYLINE: Measles is one of the world's most contagious diseases. Dr. Paul Offit is director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He says, just look at the current outbreak in west Texas.
PAUL OFFIT: I mean, it started, you hear about 14 cases, then you heard about 24 cases, then you had about 48 cases, now you have about 58 cases. They keep saying it's under control, but it's very hard to control measles.
GODOY: Now, the best defense against measles is vaccination. The vast majority of people getting sick are unvaccinated, and the measles vaccine is safe and highly effective. Here's Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University.
WILLIAM SCHAFFNER: If you have been vaccinated with two doses of vaccine as per routine, you have a 95%-plus chance of being completely protected throughout your life.
GODOY: But there are some adults who should consider getting another measles shot.
SCHAFFNER: There are some concerns about people who were vaccinated before 1968 with a killed version of this vaccine, which didn't work very well.
GODOY: He says people who got those early vaccines should get revaccinated. And if you're not sure of your vaccination status, there's no harm in getting another shot.
SCHAFFNER: You will boost your immunity to not only measles but German measles and mumps because all of those three are in one vaccine.
GODOY: If you were vaccinated between 1968 and 1989, you likely received just one dose instead of the two that are standard today. Dr. Adam Ratner is a pediatric infectious disease specialist in New York City. He says, in most cases, that one dose is considered enough protection, but there are exceptions.
ADAM RATNER: If you're traveling somewhere where there's an active outbreak and you're not sure that you got two doses, it may not be crazy to get a second dose.
GODOY: If you live in a place that's experiencing an outbreak, your local health department may recommend a second dose for adults. And Offit says vaccination is the best way to protect children.
OFFIT: I lived through the 1991 Philadelphia measles epidemic, where there were 1,400 cases and nine deaths over a period of three months. So I've seen children suffer needlessly because of the choice not to get a vaccine. So please vaccinate your children.
GODOY: Maria Godoy, NPR News.
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