What Is Your Risk of Getting Measles in the United States?
The Real Truth About Vaccines
As measles cases keep rising, you might be wondering about you and your family’s risk of getting measles, both in the United States and around the world...
How high is it?
What Is Your Risk of Getting Measles in the United States?
Well, of course your risk depends on many factors.
Like what?
Well, are you vaccinated with two doses of the MMR vaccine?
Are you around a lot of people who are unvaccinated?
Do you live in or travel to an area where there is an active outbreak?
There are many things that can increase your risk of getting sick with measles, just as getting vaccinated can lower your risk.
And of course, those who are too young to be vaccinated, and those who can’t be vaccinated, are also at risk when case counts are high.
What Is Your Risk of Getting Measles in Other Countries?
What about in other countries?
In general, your risk is related to the number of cases in that country.
And your vaccination status!
So to be safe, be sure that you are fully vaccinated and protected if you are traveling out of the country, which means:
two doses of the MMR vaccine for older children and adults
an early MMR for infants who are at least six months old, with a repeat dose, their first official MMR, when they are 12 months old
an early second MMR for toddlers and preschoolers at least one month after their first MMR
After all, you don’t want to get sick on your trip, do you?
And you certainly don’t want to return from an overseas trip and start an outbreak!
What Is Your Risk of Dying With Measles?
If you choose to skip or delay getting vaccinated, you should also know you or your child’s risk of dying with measles.
Your risk isn’t close to zero as Bob Sears has always been fond of saying.
Your risk of dying with measles isn’t just 1 in 106 million. That’s a statistic that has been made up by anti-vaccine influencers.
And you are certainly not more at risk to die from a reaction to your MMR vaccine than from measles!
The risk of dying if you or your child get sick with measles is the traditional 1 to 2 deaths for every 1,000 people with measles, even if you or your child are otherwise healthy. Plus, you are also at risk for complications, like pneumonia, encephalitis, and immune amnesia, and SSPE.
Bottom Line - don’t let anti-vaccine influencers scare you away from vaccinating and protecting yourself and your family. Don’t get measles and don’t start a measles outbreak.