Update
By NICHOLAS BAKALAR
More than a hundred people across 14 states have come down with the measles, many of them sickened as a result of an outbreak in December at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif.
But the only travelers who have reason for trepidation are those who have had neither measles nor the vaccine that prevents it.
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If you have had measles — and you are very likely to have had it if you were born before 1957 — you do not need the vaccine, although there is no harm done if you get the vaccine anyway. If you’re planning a trip, Dr. Mayers said, you can get one shot and then another in four weeks. Once you are immune — that is, you have had either the disease or the shots — you are immune for life. Immunity to measles never wears off.
What about traveling with an unvaccinated infant under 6 months old? “Obviously if there’s a known epidemic in a given location, I advise them not to go,” Dr. Mayers said. “But there are occasional outbreaks even in Europe, and I’m certainly not telling people to avoid going to Switzerland. Children under 6 months are generally immune. As for the others, I vaccinate them and say ‘bon voyage.’ ”
Is Disneyland to be avoided? “Absolutely not,” Dr. Mayers said. “Disneyland is fun! I would happily take my grandchildren there — all six of them — because they’ve all been vaccinated!”
