The recent measles outbreak in the Pacific Northwest has sent demand for the vaccine surging. Anyone who hasn’t been vaccinated is urged to get the vaccine, but do people who have already had it need another dose?
For a small subset of adults, the answer is yes.The surge in vaccinations is happening around the Clark County, Washington, area after more than 50 people contracted the measles in an outbreak that began a few weeks ago.
The area is known for lower than average vaccination rates in children. But the outbreak may be changing some of that.
More than six times as many people were vaccinated for measles from January 13 to February 2 compared to the same period last year, a spokesperson for Washington State Department of Health told Time.
“Measles vaccination is the safest way to prevent measles from spreading, especially during an outbreak,” said Dr. Julia A. Piwoz, who heads up the pediatric infectious diseases at the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital for Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey.