Measles and cruising

[Graciesmom2]

With the measles outbreak in the US and a cruise ship being quarantined in St Lucia, do you think cruise lines will soon require proof of measles vaccination before boarding ? We have a cruise coming up the end of this month. Being senior citizens we would be hard pressed to locate shot records from 60 years ago. Only other alternative would be to get a booster shot next week, just in case. Per information I have located online, those people born before 1957 are assumed to have immunity since measles was rampant when we were young. Thoughts ? 

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Cruise  ships don't require proof of other vaccinations as a rule so why should proof of a measles vaccination be any different?  Like you, if we were vaccinated it was years ago and there would be no way to provide proof.

[cruisestitch]

1. Consult your personal physician regarding any recommendations for vaccinations for people of your age and health 

 

2. No, I don't think cruise lines will "soon require proof of measles vaccination".  I personally doubt that they will ever require such proof.  If the CDC begins to make such a requirement for travel, then maybe cruise lines will follow.  But that's a big maybe and a long way off.

 

3.  Even if they are beginning to contemplate such a requirement for some time in the future, there is no way they could implement it in such a short time frame.

 

 

 

 

 

[hcat]

What ship is quarantined in St Lucia?

[REEtired]

A Scientology ship

 

[Graciesmom2]

Per NBC news the ship is called “ Freewinds” and is owned by the Church  of Scientology. There are approx. 300 passengers aboard. A member of the ships crew is reported to have  measles. The powers that be on St Lucia are preventing the ship from docking as they are afraid the disease will spread on the island. 

[cruisestitch]

Isn't this the ship that was docked for so many years in Aruba?  It was alleged that it was full of a dangerous form of asbestos, among other problems:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freewinds

[Covepointcruiser]

My doctor has said I should get the vaccine even though I am 67.   I know I never had measles as a child and the vaccine was not widely used in the lates fifties or early sixties.    I will certainly get this before my next cruise and before the convention I am scheduled to attend.    The effects of measles can be devastating to both children and seniors.

[markeb]

Honestly, I think it's entirely possible, but it will be because one or more of the islands decides to require proof of vaccination. And that could happen.

 

I recall getting an MMR in my early 30's as the path of least resistance to enroll in graduate school, so this isn't that farfetched. The problem with measles is you need almost the entire population at risk to be immune to prevent sustained transmission. It's a nasty virus to keep under control.

[miched]

When I was was 5, 6 or 7 in the early 50s I had the measles many times.   I think at the time there were  different strains such as 3 day, 7 day, German  and etc. and once you had it  you became immuned to  that strain.  It was almost considered a passage of growing up along with getting the mumps, and chickenpox.   I don’t remember  it having any effect  except for being spotted with tiny red dots and not being able to go to school and laying in bed with no lights on.      I don’t ever remember getting vaccinated for it.  The only vaccinations I ever remember was for smallpox and polio.    I am over 70 and still have the scar from the one for smallpox.   

 

Now there are vaccinations for the flu, whooping cough, shingles, tetanus, and whatever else the drug companies can come up with to get more  money from us.  

 

For some reason they haven’t  come up with one for the  Noro,  except to use common sense by washing your hand frequently and being considered of the other passengers by using good hygiene and not doing all the other stuff you do or don't at home.  

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

Edited May 2, 2019 by miched

[cruiserchuck]

26 minutes ago, Covepointcruiser said:

My doctor has said I should get the vaccine even though I am 67.   I know I never had measles as a child and the vaccine was not widely used in the lates fifties or early sixties.    I will certainly get this before my next cruise and before the convention I am scheduled to attend.    The effects of measles can be devastating to both children and seniors.

 

When there was a measles outbreak a few years ago, my Doctor said I could get a blood test for measles antibodies, which I did.  I had the antibodies, which means either I had measles as a kid, or the shot I took as a kid was effective.  I preferred the blood test to several measles shots.

 

The CDC says that anyone born before 1957 does not need a shot.  

[Cachecara]

Physicians can order a blood test to see if you have had measles in the past.  It’s called a blood titer. 

Sometimes people think they might not have had something and then find out they instead were exposed and may have had a very light case. This was my case with chicken pox. I was the oldest of 5 and “none of us” had chicken pox,  yet 3 of us have a positive titer showing past exposure and my another had a horrible case of shingles at 14, so obviously she had had exposure.  

Measles is a horrible illness to get.  I vividly remember having it at 6 and how sick I was. 

[OCruisers]

13 minutes ago, Cachecara said:

Physicians can order a blood test to see if you have had measles in the past.  It’s called a blood titer. 

 

14 minutes ago, Cachecara said:

 

Measles is a horrible illness to get.  I vividly remember having it at 6 and how sick I was. 

 

Great there is a measles test for those unsure.

After all of these years I remember well how very sick I was as a child with measles.  

Not something you want to get!  

 

[Cachecara]

Some of those past illnesses were very scary.  Mumps is no picnic either. 4 out of 5 of us had that at the same time.  My poor mom. I remember her going away to visit her sister when I was a tween.  It was her first vacation I could remember. she came home with 3 of us having pneumonia. 

[Cruise it or lose it]

1 hour ago, miched said:

When I was was 5, 6 or 7 in the early 50s I had the measles many times.   I think at the time there were  different strains such as 3 day, 7 day, German  and etc. and once you had it  you became immuned to  that strain.  It was almost considered a passage of growing up along with getting the mumps, and chickenpox.   I don’t remember  it having any effect  except for being spotted with tiny red dots and not being able to go to school and laying in bed with no lights on.      I don’t ever remember getting vaccinated for it.  The only vaccinations I ever remember was for smallpox and polio.    I am over 70 and still have the scar from the one for smallpox.   

 

Now there are vaccinations for the flu, whooping cough, shingles, tetanus, and whatever else the drug companies can come up with to get more  money from us.  

 

For some reason they haven’t  come up with one for the  Noro,  except to use common sense by washing your hand frequently and being considered of the other passengers by using good hygiene and not doing all the other stuff you do or don't at home.  

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

I had measles twice. 

[cruise47]

2 hours ago, REEtired said:

A Scientology ship

 

Is this the same ship that is sometimes anchored in Aruba.

We were anchored next to her last year on the Celebrity  Reflection.

Edited May 2, 2019 by cruise47

[SuzeCruz1]

I had measles, mumps and chickenpox back in the 50's.  A few years ago, I had shingles.  It was the single most painful experience I've ever had - worse than childbirth, surgery, broken bones and ear infections.  One side of my face and scalp were covered - even my hair hurt!!!  According to my M.D., having shingles once does not make you immune to getting it again.  If you've had chickenpox, please get the shingles vaccine.   

[NLH Arizona]

2 hours ago, Covepointcruiser said:

My doctor has said I should get the vaccine even though I am 67.   I know I never had measles as a child and the vaccine was not widely used in the lates fifties or early sixties.    I will certainly get this before my next cruise and before the convention I am scheduled to attend.    The effects of measles can be devastating to both children and seniors.

I've also never had the measles nor the vaccine, so my doctor said I needed it. 

[MamaFej]

17 minutes ago, SuzeCruz1 said:

I had measles, mumps and chickenpox back in the 50's.  A few years ago, I had shingles.  It was the single most painful experience I've ever had - worse than childbirth, surgery, broken bones and ear infections.  One side of my face and scalp were covered - even my hair hurt!!!  According to my M.D., having shingles once does not make you immune to getting it again.  If you've had chickenpox, please get the shingles vaccine.   

I just got my second shingles shot last week. It is often out of stock*, so I had my two shots more than six months apart, but late is better than never. I'm trying to talk the hubby into it. Baby Brother just turned 50 last week, so I'll try to talk him into it as well. 

 

Thanks for the reminder!

 

*Maybe if the manufacturer spent less on advertising it, and more on manufacturing it, the vaccine wouldn't be in such short supply.

[cruiserchuck]

22 minutes ago, MamaFej said:

I just got my second shingles shot last week. It is often out of stock*, so I had my two shots more than six months apart, but late is better than never. I'm trying to talk the hubby into it. Baby Brother just turned 50 last week, so I'll try to talk him into it as well. 

 

Thanks for the reminder!

 

*Maybe if the manufacturer spent less on advertising it, and more on manufacturing it, the vaccine wouldn't be in such short supply.

 

I just got my first shingles shot last month.   Several people we knew came down with shingles, and I put myself on a waiting list for the shot.  As others indicated, they said shingles was extremely painful.

[c-boy]

booster 

[celebrity]

8 hours ago, miched said:

When I was was 5, 6 or 7 in the early 50s I had the measles many times.   I think at the time there were  different strains such as 3 day, 7 day, German  and etc. and once you had it  you became immuned to  that strain.  It was almost considered a passage of growing up along with getting the mumps, and chickenpox.   I don’t remember  it having any effect  except for being spotted with tiny red dots and not being able to go to school and laying in bed with no lights on.      I don’t ever remember getting vaccinated for it.  The only vaccinations I ever remember was for smallpox and polio.    I am over 70 and still have the scar from the one for smallpox.   

 

Now there are vaccinations for the flu, whooping cough, shingles, tetanus, and whatever else the drug companies can come up with to get more  money from us.  

 

For some reason they haven’t  come up with one for the  Noro,  except to use common sense by washing your hand frequently and being considered of the other passengers by using good hygiene and not doing all the other stuff you do or don't at home.  

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

Are you kidding me? “Whatever the drug companies can come up

with”

You are certainly old enough to recall iron lungs. Are you saying the polio vaccine was “something” to simply make money from? Shame on you!!!! 😡

 

I’ve had the measles, German measles, mumps and chicken pox. No walk in the park and I escaped pneumonia, encephalitis, blindness and death. 

 

I have two friends that are organ donor recipients that would die if they were exposed to these childhood illnesses at this point in their lives. What about babies that are too young to be vaccinated? 

 

Please don’t lump Noro into that group of deadly diseases. 

 

Please educate yourself. I wish you good health and a lovely day. 

[celebrity]

6 hours ago, cruiserchuck said:

 

I just got my first shingles shot last month.   Several people we knew came down with shingles, and I put myself on a waiting list for the shot.  As others indicated, they said shingles was extremely painful.

The shingles are very painful and the residual pain can last for months. 

[DirtyDawg]

7 hours ago, cruiserchuck said:

 

I just got my first shingles shot last month.   Several people we knew came down with shingles, and I put myself on a waiting list for the shot.  As others indicated, they said shingles was extremely painful.

I'm going for my first shingles shot this morning. I could have had it on Monday when I was at the Doctor's office for a regular visit.  I delayed it to today because my wife had a bad reaction to both of her shots and ended up in bed the next day. I couldn't be laid up in bed earlier this week. 

 

So, if I’m cranky (more than usual) if I post later today or Friday my apologies in advance. 😉

Edited May 2, 2019 by DirtyDawg

[Krazy Kruizers]

There are some of us who grew up when there weren't measles shots were around.  So no records for us. 

 

My mother exposed me to the other children in our neighborhood but I never got them.  My DH did get the measles. 

 

I do worry about getting them as a 29 year old man just returned from a trip to Europe and has them.  And he has shopped at a couple of the same markets that we went to right around the same time we went to them.  

 

As to cruise ships requiring proof/records of measles shots -- won't happen.