Health
Measles vaccines given long ago could be less effective now, doctors say
For those who were vaccinated for measles many decades ago, there’s a chance the protection has worn off by now.
Amid the current measles outbreak in West Texas — and with cases also reported in New Mexico, New Jersey and several other states — some doctors are warning about the possibility of legacy vaccines becoming less effective over time.
Measles is a highly contagious virus for those who have not previously been infected or vaccinated, with up to a 90% chance of transmission.
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The measles vaccine was first introduced in 1968. Three years later, in 1971, the MMR vaccine made its debut, providing a trifecta of protection against measles, mumps and rubella.
Some doctors are warning about the possibility of legacy vaccines becoming less effective over time. (iStock)
A couple of decades after the release of the MMR vaccine, measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000.
“The standard recommendation from health authorities like the CDC is a two-dose series of the MMR vaccine,” Fox News medical contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier told Fox News Digital.
“For most people, these two doses provide lifelong immunity — about 97% effectiveness against measles.”
Who needs another vaccine?
The question of whether someone should get another measles vaccine depends on a few factors, like their vaccination history, age and health status, according to Saphier, who practices in New York.
“If you’re an adult who got both doses as a kid, you’re likely fine unless you’re in a high-risk group — such as healthcare workers or travelers to outbreak areas — where a booster might be considered,” she said.
“Adults who were vaccinated for measles between 1963 and 1968 should check their vaccination history.”
People born before 1957 presumably have natural immunity, as they were likely exposed to measles before vaccines became available, according to the doctor.
“Adults who were vaccinated for measles between 1963 and 1968 should check their vaccination history to determine which vaccine they received,” Saphier advised.
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“During that time, a version of the vaccine that used an inactivated form of the virus was available that was found to be not as effective and was ultimately withdrawn.”
Studies show that antibody levels can wane over decades, but actual measles cases in fully vaccinated people remain rare, Saphier added.
Studies show that antibody levels can wane over decades, but actual measles cases in fully vaccinated people remain rare. (iStock)
“No hard data says people need a third shot routinely, but if you’re worried, a blood test can check your antibody levels,” she said.
“As with everything in medicine, there are rare risks to vaccinating and substantial risks to not vaccinating.”
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Each person’s situation is different and should be weighed carefully after a thorough conversation with a trusted medical team, Saphier added.
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, also emphasized the importance of measles vaccinations — “particularly with the number of circulating measles cases and underimmunized people coming into the U.S. at a time when there is a big measles surge around the world.”
The measles vaccine was first introduced in 1968. Three years later, in 1971, the MMR vaccine made its debut, providing a trifecta of protection against measles, mumps and rubella. (iStock)
For those who are traveling to an area where a measles outbreak is occurring, he recommends that they see a doctor for a measles “titer test” and get a booster if they are not showing immunity. (The titer test measures an individual’s level of immunity to the virus.)
“This is not yet an official suggestion anywhere, but I do check measles titers in many of my patients, and if they are low, I may give a booster as a precaution,” Siegel said.
MMR is a live virus vaccine and cannot be given to pregnant women or immunocompromised people, the doctor noted.
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So far in 2025, a total of 164 cases of measles have been reported in the U.S., according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
A vast majority of those (140) are in Texas. Nine cases have been reported in New Mexico, with the remainder in California, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey and Rhode Island.
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A new report by the American Heart Association (AHA) included some troubling predictions for the future of women’s health.
The forecast, published in the journal Circulation on Wednesday, projected increases in various comorbidities in American females by 2050.
More than 59% of women were predicted to have high blood pressure, up from less than 49% currently.
The review also projected that more than 25% of women will have diabetes, compared to about 15% today, and more than 61% will have obesity, compared to 44% currently.
As a result of these risk factors, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7%.
The prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke in women is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7% by 2050. (iStock)
Not all trends were negative, as unhealthy cholesterol prevalence is expected to drop to about 22% from more than 42% today, the report stated.
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Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist and founder of Step One Foods in Minnesota, commented on these “jarring findings.”
“The fact that on our current trajectory, cardiometabolic disease is projected to explode in women within one generation should be a huge wake-up call,” she told Fox News Digital.
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“Hypertension, diabetes, obesity — these are all major risk factors for heart disease, and we are already seeing what those risks are driving. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, eclipsing all other causes of death, including breast cancer.”
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. and around the world. (iStock)
Klodas warned that heart disease starts early, progresses “stealthily,” and can present “out of the blue in devastating ways.”
The AHA published another study on Thursday revealing one million hospitalizations, showing that heart attack deaths are climbing among adults below the age of 55.
The more alarming finding, according to Klodas, is that young women were found more likely to die after their first heart attack than men of the same age.
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“This is all especially tragic since heart disease is almost entirely preventable,” she said. “The earlier you start, the better.”
Children can show early evidence of plaque deposition in their arteries, which can be reversed through lifestyle changes if “undertaken early enough and aggressively enough,” according to the expert.
Moving more is one part of protecting a healthy heart, according to experts. (iStock)
Klodas suggested that rising heart conditions are associated with traditional risk factors, like smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
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Doctors are also seeing higher rates of preeclampsia, or high blood pressure during pregnancy, as well as gestational diabetes. Klodas noted that these are sex-specific risk factors that don’t typically contribute to complications until after menopause.
The best way to protect a healthy heart is to “do the basics,” Klodas recommended, including the following lifestyle habits.
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Klodas especially emphasized making improvements to diet, as the food people eat affects “every single risk factor that the AHA’s report highlights.”
“High blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, excess weight – these are all conditions that are driven in part or in whole by food,” she said. “We eat multiple times every single day, which means what we eat has profound cumulative effects over time.”
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health.”
The doctor also recommends changing out a few snacks per day for healthier choices, which has been proven to “yield medication-level cholesterol reductions” in a month.
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“Keep up that small change and, over the course of a year, you could also lose 20 pounds and reduce your sodium intake enough to avoid blood pressure-lowering medications,” Klodas added.
“Women should not view the AHA report as inevitable. We have power over our health destinies. We just need to use it.”
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Nearsightedness (myopia) is skyrocketing globally, with nearly half of the world’s population expected to be myopic by 2050, according to the World Health Organization.
Heavy use of smartphones and other devices is associated with an 80% higher risk of myopia when combined with excessive computer use, but a new study suggests that dim indoor lighting could also be a factor.
For years, scientists have been puzzled by the different ways myopia is triggered. In lab settings, it can be induced by blurring vision or using different lenses. Conversely, it can be slowed by something as simple as spending time outdoors, research suggests.
Nearsightedness occurs when the eyeball grows too long from front to back, according to the American Optometric Association (AOA). This physical elongation causes light to focus in front of the retina rather than directly on it, making distant objects appear blurry.
The study suggests that myopia isn’t caused by the digital devices themselves, but by the low-light environments where they are typically used. (iStock)
Researchers at the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Optometry identified a potential specific trigger for this growth. When someone looks at a phone or a book up close, the pupil naturally constricts.
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“In bright outdoor light, the pupil constricts to protect the eye while still allowing ample light to reach the retina,” Urusha Maharjan, a SUNY Optometry doctoral student who conducted the study, said in a press release.
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“When people focus on close objects indoors, such as phones, tablets or books, the pupil can also constrict — not because of brightness, but to sharpen the image,” she went on. “In dim lighting, this combination may significantly reduce retinal illumination.”
High-intensity natural light prevents myopia because it provides enough retinal stimulation to override the “stop growing” signal, even when pupils are constricted. (iStock)
The hypothesis suggests that when the retina is deprived of light during extended close-up work, it sends a signal for the eye to grow.
In a dim environment, the narrowed pupil allows so little light through that the retinal activity isn’t strong enough to signal the eye to stop growing, the researchers found.
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In contrast, being outdoors provides light levels much brighter than indoors. This ensures that even when the pupil narrows to focus on a nearby object, the retina still receives a strong signal, maintaining healthy eye development.
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The team noted some limitations of the study, including the small subject group and the inability to directly measure internal lens changes, as the bright backgrounds used to mimic the outdoors made pupils too small for standard equipment.
Researchers believe that increasing indoor brightness during close-up work could be a simple, testable way to slow the global nearsightedness epidemic. (iStock)
“This is not a final answer,” Jose-Manuel Alonso, MD, PhD, SUNY distinguished professor and senior author of the study, said in the release.
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“But the study offers a testable hypothesis that reframes how visual habits, lighting and eye focusing interact.”
The study was published in the journal Cell Reports.
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