For most people, the answer is NO, you do not need to be revaccinated. The measles vaccine is given in a two-shot series. The first one at 12-16 months and the second at 4-6 years. If you got BOTH doses, you are well protected.
However, there are a few specific groups of people who might want to talk to their clinician to see if they need another measles shot.
Some scenarios that might require getting revaccinated:
➡️ If you don’t know if you were vaccinated or had measles as a child.
People born before 1957 likely were exposed to measles and have immunity. However, if you don’t know if you had measles or you don’t have a record of receiving the measles vaccine, you might want to talk to your trusted clinician to discuss if getting the measles vaccine is a good idea for you.
➡️ People who were vaccinated before their first birthday.
If you got an early dose at 6-11 months, and then proceeded to get the regular recommended measles vaccines at 12-15 months and 4-6 years, you have full protection and no action is needed. You only need more vaccines if you were vaccinated early and then did not follow up with the recommended two-dose series in childhood.
➡️ If you were vaccinated between 1963 and 1967.
An inactivated “killed measles” vaccine was given to around 1 million people between 1963-1967, and is less effective, so those people may not be as well protected. If you have records showing you received this vaccine, or were vaccinated during this time talk to your clinician about being revaccinated.
➡️ If you were vaccinated between 1968 and 1989.
You likely received one dose of the currently used vaccine. In 1989, two doses of the measles vaccine became the standard after multiple committees and medical associations determined that two doses of the vaccine provided better protection. Therefore, it might be worth talking to your clinician about getting a second shot, especially if you are in an outbreak area, or if you are immunocompromised.
➡️ If you received immunoglobulin (IG) as a post-exposure treatment of measles.
Sometimes people who are exposed to a measles case and are at a high risk of getting sick will be given Immune Globulin for measles postexposure prophylaxis. This is a mix of antibodies that block the measles virus and provides short-term protection. Vaccination with the full measles vaccine series is recommended after recovery. However, IG and the measles vaccine should not be administered at the same time, as IG will lower the vaccine’s effectiveness. Talk to a clinician and get your vaccine scheduled afterwards.
No matter what, if you are unsure, discuss with a clinician whether or not another dose is appropriate for you.
Further reading:
Those Nerdy Girls – How can I protect myself from measles?
CDC – Questions about measles [archived link]
CDC – Pink Book Chapter 13 – Measles [archived link]
NCBI bookshelf – StatPearls – MMR vaccine