Measles, Mumps and Rubella

I went and got a MMR booster today. Yes, that's right, a Measles, Mumps and Rubella booster. 

"Eh, didn't you have all that as a kid?" you ask. 

Well, I've got no proof of vaccination, though I'm sure I may have had the jabs. Mum was good with that stuff. 

I know I've had the mumps. They thought I may have had rubella as a baby, but I know I never had the measles. 

And measles is making a resurgence. Yes, there's been an outbreak in Texas in the States. But measles is all over the place. And it's nasty. It can stuff you up for months. And it can kill you. Nasty, nasty, nasty disease. 

Being somebody who travels a bit, it makes sense to keep up the protection.

Having no documented evidence that I've had the jabs is another reason to get this.

Just the one jab ensures 93% protection regardless of whether you've had the jabs before. 

And currently Victoria has a 91% vaccine take up on the measles vaccinations. We need 93% to have herd immunity. 

Vaccinations are free if you're in any of the categories below. 

This is from the Victorian Government website: 

Immunisation with MMRV

Immunisation is the best protection against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox. It is important to know that it is safe for children with egg allergies to receive the MMRV vaccine.

Protection against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox is available under the National Immunisation Program Schedule.

In Victoria, immunisation against these diseases is free of charge for:

• children at 12 months – the first immunisation is given as the MMR combination vaccine
• children at 18 months of age – the second immunisation is given as the MMRV combination vaccine
• young people up to and including 19 years of age who have not been fully immunised – young people can receive free National Immunisation Program catch-up vaccines
• women planning pregnancy or after the birth of their child – two doses of MMR are available for women who have low immunity or no immunity to rubella
• refugees and humanitarian entrants over 20 years of age – catch-up immunisations with MMR are available for people who have not been fully immunised
• people born during or since 1966, without evidence of two documented doses of valid MMR vaccine or without a blood test showing evidence of immunity to measles, mumps and rubella, are eligible for one or two doses of MMR vaccine. (If two MMR doses are required they should be given a minimum of 28 days apart.) If you have not received the vaccine, ask your doctor or immunisation provider about catch-up doses.

Note: The MMRV combination vaccine is not recommended for people aged 14 years and over. From 14 years of age people require the MMR vaccine and a separate chickenpox vaccine.

I know that there's vaccine skepticism and burnout, especially after COVID, but to me, this was a no brainer. 

Today's song: