Many people may be wondering if they’re vaccinated following the recent measles outbreak in Vancouver. In fact, many are probably wondering which vaccinations they’ve had at all.
Chances are that unless you’re still living at home, those records are buried in a box along with your baby books and your first locks of cut hair.
But fear not, there are ways for adults to find vaccination records.
READ MORE: Vancouver measles outbreak prompts vaccine vigilance on Island
First and foremost, adults can check in with their current and former family doctors to check in on which vaccinations they’ve had.
If you’re part of the large portion of B.C. residents that don’t have a family doctor but were immunized at school or at local health unit, you can contact your local health unit for your records.
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Additionally, a small amount of vaccinations can also be detected by anti-bodies found in blood tests.
If there’s still no luck from these steps, a person without records will be considered unimmunized and unprotected, and ImmunizeBC recommends simply being revaccinated to ensure protection, adding that it’s completely safe to repeat vaccines.
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It should be noted that many adults born between 1970-1994 or outside of B.C. are likely due for a measles vaccine booster, as during this time a second dose wasn’t always given. The BC Children’s hospital reports that two doses of the vaccine can be 99 per cent effective at preventing measles.
Anyone planning on travelling abroad should also consider checking for vaccines, as diseases like measles are found more widely in Europe, South America, Africa and the Philippines.
For more information you can visit immunizebc.ca
–With files from Keri Coles
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