Measles vaccine is a vaccine given to prevent measles. This vaccine is one of the mandatory immunizations for children, but adults can also get it. Check out the following article to find out more about the measles vaccine.
The measles vaccine is useful for making the recipient's immune system more immune to measles, an infectious disease that can cause serious complications. Unfortunately, measles cases in Indonesia are still relatively high and are in the top 10 in the world.
Measles can actually happen to anyone. However, most measles virus is spread among children. That is why measles vaccination is made part of the basic immunization of children.
Complete measles vaccination in children in Indonesia is expected to break the chain of measles transmission between children. Even so, adults can still get this vaccine, especially those who are at high risk.
The Right Time to Give Vaccines Measles
Measles is an infectious disease. The virus can be spread through the air when the sufferer spits out saliva when sneezing, coughing, or even talking. You can also become infected if your hands are exposed to droplets containing the measles virus and then accidentally touch your nose or mouth.
Measles prevention can be done by administering the MR vaccine which is a combination of the measles vaccine (meases) and the rubella vaccine. This method is effective for both children and adults.
In children, the measles vaccine should be given for the first time at 9 months of age. After that, the vaccine is repeated when the child reaches the age of 18 months and 7 years so that his immune system is formed optimally.
In adults, measles or MR vaccine can be given at any time. Unlike the MR vaccine in children, the MR vaccine for adults is administered 2 times with a 4-week interval between vaccines.
You should get this vaccine if you have never or doubt you have received it, live in an area where measles is endemic, or work in the health sector. Women who are planning to become pregnant are also advised to get the MR vaccine to prevent the risk of birth defects caused by Rubella infection.
However, it should be noted that getting the measles vaccine does not mean completely avoiding measles. The risk of contracting this disease is possible, but the potential is very small and the symptoms that appear can be milder.
In addition, you should consult a doctor first before receiving this vaccine, because the measles vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women and people who suffer from certain medical conditions, such as HIV or other immune disorders.
