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Measles is on the rise. Get vaccinated on campus.

Measles is on the rise. Get vaccinated on campus.

April 27, 2019 at 12:00am


On Saturday, April 27, the following message was sent to the university community.

As you may have seen in the news, there are more than 600 reported cases of measles in the U.S. – the highest annual number recorded since 2000. In Florida, there have been two confirmed measles cases (one in Broward County). Both cases had recent international travel to Southeast Asia.

FIU is committed to the health and wellness of our students, faculty and staff. We wanted to take the opportunity to share some important information with you about this highly contagious viral disease.

Measles is often considered a childhood disease, but it can be contracted at any age. It spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Symptoms include cough, runny nose, red eyes, fever and rash.

Measles can be prevented with measles-containing vaccine, which is primarily administered as the combination measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.

All FIU students born after December 31, 1956 should have met the pre-requisite registration requirement of documented immunity to measles, mumps and rubella.

For non-students, the general recommendation is people who are born during or after 1957 who do not have evidence of immunity against measles should get at least one dose of MMR vaccine. A second dose of the MMR vaccine is recommended for those at higher risk, such as international travelers and health care workers. People with an underlying health condition should talk with their health care providers to determine the need for additional booster doses.

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.

The MMR vaccine is available for students at the Student Health Clinics at MMC and BBC at a cost of $79. Members of the university community who are not students may make an appointment at FIU Health to receive the vaccine at a cost of $79. Most insurance plans cover this vaccine.

Students with concerns may contact FIU Student Health Services at 305-348-2401. Faculty, staff and other members of the community may contact FIU Health at 305-348-3627(DOCS).