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Are You Protected Against Measles? How to Check Your Immunity Status

By Billy Briefman · October 12, 2026 · 2 min read read

Category: Health & Wellness

Are You Protected Against Measles? How to Check Your Immunity Status
"Older man having his upper arm cleaned before a shot" by SELF Magazine is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/.

Health Officials Advise Adults to Verify Measles Immunity Amid Rising Outbreaks Public health experts recommend that adults confirm their vaccination history or seek a booster shot as measles...

Health Officials Advise Adults to Verify Measles Immunity Amid Rising Outbreaks

Public health experts recommend that adults confirm their vaccination history or seek a booster shot as measles cases increase across the U.S., according to reporting from NPR News.

Originally reported by NPR News. NPR News

Determining Vaccination Status

Many adults remain uncertain about their immunity levels because records from several decades ago are often difficult to locate. According to NPR News, individuals born before 1957 generally possess natural immunity due to widespread exposure before vaccines became available. However, those born after 1957 should verify they received two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine.

If physical records are unavailable, medical professionals can perform a blood test, known as a titer test, to check for measles antibodies. According to health officials cited by NPR News, this test confirms whether a person’s immune system can still recognize and fight the virus.

The Safety of Extra Doses

For those unable to find records or access testing, experts suggest that receiving an additional MMR dose poses no significant health risks. According to NPR News, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that an extra dose of the vaccine is not harmful, even for individuals who may already be immune.

Health providers emphasize that maintaining high community vaccination rates prevents the virus from spreading to vulnerable populations, including infants and immunocompromised individuals. According to NPR News, the high contagiousness of measles requires a 95% vaccination rate to achieve herd immunity.

This article is based on reporting originally published by NPR News. Channel RVA provides this coverage with additional local context for the Richmond community.