Measles exposure at LAX amid growing cases across U.S. How to protect yourself

[SunSeeker]

Source: LA Times

A non-Los Angeles resident who traveled to Los Angeles International Airport while infectious with the disease arrived on a Korean Air flight in Terminal B on Feb. 19, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health stated. The infected traveler was an infant returning home to Orange County after international travel, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency.

Travelers and airport staff who were at Terminal B — which serves flights for Air China, Air France, All Nippon Airways, British Airways and Cathay Pacific Airways, among others — on Feb. 19 between 1 and 4 p.m. may be at risk of developing measles due to possible exposure.

Another possible exposure site includes specific seats on the Korean Airline flight. Potentially exposed passengers can expect to be contacted by their local health departments.

Health officials say the best way to protect against the measles is with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Two doses of MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles; one dose is about 93% effective. The CDC recommends getting the first dose of the MMR vaccine at ages 12 to 15 months and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age.

Read more: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-02-28/first-confirmed-measles-case-in-los-angeles-county-since-2015-how-to-protect-yourself

---

My husband and I were vaccinated for measles sometime in the 1960s, but we don't know when nor with what type of measles vaccine, so we went ahead and got one shot of the current MMR vaccine at our local CVS to be safe, with all these breakouts popping up.

Per the CDC:

If you received a measles vaccine in the 1960s, you may not need to be revaccinated. People who have documentation of receiving LIVE measles vaccine in the 1960s do not need to be revaccinated. People who were vaccinated prior to 1968 with either inactivated (killed) measles vaccine or measles vaccine of unknown type should be revaccinated with at least one dose of live attenuated measles vaccine. This recommendation is intended to protect those who may have received killed measles vaccine, which was available in 1963-1967 and was not effective.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/mmr/public/index.html

[cliffside]

1. Measles cases reported in New Jersey, Kentucky amid ongoing outbreak in Texas ...

https://www.mycentraloregon.com/2025/02/28/measles-cases-reported-in-new-jersey-kentucky-amid-ongoing-outbreak-in-texas-2/

"... The Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) and the Franklin County Health Department announced on Wednesday a confirmed case of measles in an adult resident, the first in the state in two years.

The departments said the resident recently traveled internationally to an area where measles is spreading.

Meanwhile, in New Jersey, health officials confirmed two new measles cases in Bergen County linked to a patient whose case was confirmed earlier this month..."

[SunSeeker]

2. Yup. It's everywhere. Protect yourself, JFK Jr. won't. nt

[cliffside]

3. !!! nt

[Sparkly]

4. I was a child in the 1960s, and I have no idea what I had! (Just that I had a good Mom.)

However, I somehow missed the Rubella vaccine and didn't realize that until I was already pregnant and was exposed to "Fifth Disease." ...

I worry for my daughter (in her 30s) and granddaughter (10 months old)!! Can't believe ignorance has put us in such a position.

[sakabatou]

5. Well, I'm not traveling anywhere anytime soon

Plus I got my measles vaccine in the 80s.

[SunSeeker]

8. Enjoy your stay.

[montanacowboy]

7. I had measles three times as a child (different kinds)

during the 40's; also had whooping cough. I can still remember it. Being kept in a dark room, and for whooping cough my bed was surrounded with wet sheets and there was a small boiler plate fire under the bed. All of us kids went through hell then thank goodness we all made it through. My 13 yr old cousin died from polio he wasn't as lucky.
I can't imagine parents not vaccinating their kids. They are batshit crazy.

[ShazzieB]

9. The mmr vaccine didn't come out until I was in my 20s!

I had measles when I was 7 years old. My understanding is that that confers lifetime immunity. I sure hope so.

[SunSeeker]

10. Talk with your doctor. You can have a simple titer blood test done to check the level of your measles immunity. nt

[LeftInTX]

12. The virus is stronger than the vaccine. Unless you have immune deficiencies etc, generally don't need your titer checked

[SunSeeker]

13. *generally. That's why it's best to talk with your doctor.

He or she can give you the best advice, since they know your medical history.

As someone noted up the thread, they had measles 3 times, so having it doesn’t always protect you from it.

[tornado34jh]

11. Wasn't it in 2014 when Obama was unfairly criticized for not doing enough during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa?

The right thought he was just letting people in from there. But the truth is, we did better against that than we did with COVID and now measles. What is the common denominator for the last two? Trump was president. But then again, we have an unqualified person running disease control. By the way, measles is one of the oldest known diseases. It's been known since at least the 4th century BCE. But then again, these same people doing COVID didn't want to wear masks. So then again, maybe they deserve Darwin awards for stupidity.

[nitpicked]

14. When there was an outbreak in the 1980s

I suspected I had gotten the inactivated vaccine, so I went ahead and got revaccinated. Something worked, for when I was traveling to an outbreak area several years later, I got a titre test and it showed the vaccine was effective.

[SarcasticSatyr]

15. I was born in 1963, I later served in the Navy 1982 - 1986 . . .

Is it likely or unlikely I need another vaccination?

[2naSalit]

16. What about those of us...

Who actually suffered the diseases in childhood? I had both kinds of measles, do I need to revaccinate?

[Javaman]

17. fun fact: the majority of deaths in the civil war was due to disease. one being measles. nt

[Martin68]

20. Fun fact: the majority of the deaths during WWI were due to disease (mainly influenza).

[Javaman]

21. I'm tired of fun facts like these 😔 nt

[Martin68]

23. They are definitely not fun.

[lark]

18. In Jax FL, we all got vaccinated prior to 1968, I was still in elementary school.

I couldn't tell you what year, but it was before the 5th grade so around 1963.

[Martin68]

19. I had a case of measles when I was 6 years old in 1958. I was lucky that I suffered no worse than a 105 degree

temperature.

[SunSeeker]

22. Holy shit, 105? Amazing that didn't cause damage.

A lot of people weren't as lucky.

[Martin68]

24. Hearing loss is a common result of a temperature that high.