are considered immune is because of the very high prevalance of outbreaks prior to that year. It is estimated that almost all children were exposed/had the disease.

The period when they were giving the killed virus (your chart gives the years) should get boosters.

I was an AF brat and we traveled overseas (a booster) - then I enlisted myself in my late teens (a booster) . . . and I returned to school as an adult and had to have another booster (plus, honestly, I'm pretty sure I had measles as a child). I would defy the virus to take root in my system - but I am looking into getting boosters for some of the other childhood diseases. I teach college and the first anti-vax generation is just about ready to hit higher ed. No way in hell I want to be trapped in a classroom with some walking plague pit who might be carrying one of the OTHER diseases that we once had mostly eradicated.

So being born in 1952, I guess I should be OK. I will discuss the possibility of vaccinations with my doctor on my next visit. I don't need any diseases, children's or otherwise. I already have a resident herpes zoster that I expect will someday become shingles.

My problem is that I don't spend much time around other people so when I do go to a seminar or event, I get exposed to all kinds of things. Generally about a week after I get home I come down with something. I need to try to do what preventatives I can this year since I have two seminars scheduled.

included a titer for measles antibodies? My titer is very high, about 100x normal because I had measles as a child and then received all of my vaccines and boosters.

The dr will probably say it's cheaper to get booster vs doing titer and then getting booster if needed. Pregnant women's titer is usually checked. Good luck.

Pre-vaccine mumps and chicken pox fucked me up a bit when I was a kid. The scars remain.

I've no interest in repeating those experiences.

My mom had shingles in a bad way. As a kid I had chicken pox everywhere, burns when I piss, and in my mouth bad.

The flu has put me in the hospital.

I'll do what I can to avoid further experiences with nasty viruses.

My smallpox vaccination scar has faded away. Maybe I'm lucky that way. A couple of my ancestors survived smallpox even as their family and neighbors were dying. My closest relative who survived smallpox was a great grandmother. I guess she hadn't been close enough to the cows.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowpox

I had rubella and measles as a child. For some reason I never had mumps even though all my brothers did.

Whooping cough is the one that concerns me. There are three people in my household who all came down with a bad case 4 years ago. We were all vaccinated in our teens. One of us is fifteen years younger.

How much do we know about the effectiveness and longevity of vaccines?

back in the 60's. I think since I had them, I don't need a vaccine. Don't know if I ever had rubella, but I think that is only dangerous if you are pregnant, and I don't have to worry about getting pregnant at this point. If I remember correctly, a lot of kids had rubella, but didn't know it.