Your measles vaccine was years ago. Are you still protected? What SC experts say
For many South Carolina adults, the reality of having taken a measles vaccine when they were younger is likely not something that has been in the front of their mind through the years.
After all, the highly contagious virus had, for the most part, been eradicated in the U.S. and the Palmetto State decades ago. That many adults had received a measles vaccine as children was simply a fact that was tucked away in the memory. Just one small part of an individual’s journey.
But now, South Carolina — and in particular the Upstate region — has become the epicenter of a reemergence of the measles. Since the beginning of an outbreak last year, there have been more than 900 total cases in South Carolina, according to the SC Department of Public Health, with a majority of those cases centered in Spartanburg County.
In fact, of the 933 measles cases that had been reported in South Carolina as of Feb. 10, the Department of Public Health noted that 890 of them have been in Spartanburg County. The health department reports that 95% of the measles cases in SC since the outbreak began have been in people who were unvaccinated.
While a large part of the measles conversation has centered on young people and schools, there are likely more than few adults who are once again thinking about their own vaccine status and its efficacy.
Simply put, if you are an adult who received a measles vaccine many years ago — or even decades ago — are you still protected?
The answer, for the most part, is “yes,” according to health officials
As noted by the SC Department of Public Health, about 93% of people who have received one dose of the measles vaccine have permanent protection, and that rises to 97% if they have received two doses. In an online frequently asked questions page about the measles, the federal Centers for Disease Control says that, if a person has received two doses of the measles vaccine after 12 months of age, they should be “protected for life” and not need a booster dose for protection.
“No vaccine offers 100% protection against infection, but the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine is one of the most effective vaccines in preventing infection,” Dr. Linda Bell, South Carolina’s state epidemiologist, said in a Feb. 11 conversation with reporters. “In fact, it has been shown to provide lifelong protection against the measles for 97% of those who complete the recommended two-dose series.”
The Centers for Disease Control notes that there is a small group of people who, in the early-to-mid 1960s, may have received an inactivated measles vaccine, which is an earlier form of vaccine that is no longer used. Some refer to that inactivated vaccine as the “killed” vaccine. That version of the vaccine was given to less than a million people in the U.S. between 1963 and 1967. The CDC notes that those who were vaccinated in that timeframe and are unsure about whether they received the inactivated measles vaccine should speak with their healthcare professional.
Bell, SC’s state epidemiologist, also referenced the timeframe in the 1960s when some took an earlier version of the vaccine, but noted those who have taken the more modern version should have full protection.
“For those who were vaccinated with the currently available vaccine, even if it’s been decades ago, particularly if they received the recommended two-dose series, about 97% of those people should have lifelong immunity and booster doses are not recommended,” Bell said. “There is a window of time in the early 1960s when a measles vaccine was first introduced that was not as effective at stimulating an immune response.
“So, adults who may have received that vaccination during that timeframe should consult with their healthcare provider to see if they need to receive the current dose.”
The Centers for Disease Control notes that, because of the widespread prevalence of measles before the creation of vaccines, people born before 1957 are largely considered immune to the virus.
This story was originally published February 17, 2026 at 5:15 AM.
