Only adults who were born between 1957-1967 need to check if they received the inactive or live vaccine. People who have documentation of receiving LIVE measles vaccine in the 1960s do not need to be revaccinated.

If you are an adult born in this timeframe, and do not know which vaccine you received and do not have access to vaccine records, the CDC recommends getting a booster. Getting a booster shot even if you already had the live vaccine will not do any harm.

If you were born between 1968 and 1989, you likely only received one dose of the vaccine, instead of the two that are standard today. For most people this is enough, however for those at higher risk or who live with people who are higher risk, a booster shot may be recommended. People born in this time period should talk to their healthcare provider to determine if a booster is necessary for them.

Adults born before 1957 are assumed to be naturally immune, and do not need a booster.

Titers, or checking if someone has antibodies to measles, are expensive and generally not recommended to determine vaccine status.

Public health officials are monitoring the current measles outbreak to determine spread.

Symptoms of colon cancer include rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, diarrhea, unexplained weight loss, or iron deficiency anemia. Tell your doctor and consider asking for a colonoscopy if you have these symptoms, even if you are under the age of 45.

Colon or colorectal cancer was previously thought to be heavily linked to lifestyle factors such a poor diet or simply growing older. However, in recent years young people who have healthy diets, high physical activity, and no family history have also been presenting with the disease.

Health care providers may not think of colon cancer as a possible cause for patient symptoms in young healthy patients with no family history. This could be leading to the higher rate of advanced disease diagnosis in younger patients, while those over 50 years old have seen a drop in diagnoses of late-stage disease due to increased screening.

Colon cancer is preventable through early detection but becomes harder to treat if found at later stages. It is important to begin the screenings at your recommended age.

We are still learning about the cause for this increase in colon cancer cases, factors could include environmental factors such as chemicals in our food, or other unknown genetic links.

Measles is one of the world’s most infectious diseases, and spreads through the air. The virus can remain active on surfaces and in the air for up to two hours. One person infected by measles can infect nine out of ten unvaccinated people they come into contact with.

Measles used to result in 48,000 hospitalizations each year before the vaccine was developed.

In the US, the vaccine is not given to babies under 1 year of age or people with weakened immune systems. This makes these groups especially susceptible to infection if they are exposed to someone with the virus. As a result, they can only rely on herd immunity (having around 95% of the population immunized) to help protect them against measles.

Side effects of the measles vaccine have been well researched. About 10% of children will develop a fever 6-12 days after vaccination, and some experience a small rash. In very rare cases, the fever can induce seizures.

Two doses of the vaccine (MMR vaccine) are 97% effective at preventing measles, and one dose is 93% effective. Breakthrough infections, especially somewhere where high levels of measles outbreaks are occurring, are possible. The MMR vaccine protects against measles, mumps, and rubella.

Multiple studies have shown no connection between the measles vaccine and autism. Autism symptoms begin to show in children around the same time a child is receiving vaccines. It makes sense to suspect vaccines as a cause, and research has looked into this for that reason. However, according to these studies, the timing is coincidental.

Parents can have conversations with their doctors to decide if their child should receive the measles vaccine, and choose a timeline that works best for their family.

The CDC and state health departments are actively monitoring measles outbreaks and measles cases. The CDC website is updated every Friday with updated measles information.