Don't know if you've been vaccinated against measles? Get a shot, doctors urge

TORONTO - Public health doctors say if people don't know if they've been vaccinated against measles, they should get a shot.

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, says people should try their best to find their vaccine records and ask their doctors.

People born before 1970 are presumed to have been exposed to measles and likely to have some immunity, she says.

But if people were born in 1970 or later and really have no idea if they were vaccinated, there is no harm in getting a dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to ensure they are protected as Canada continues to see a rising number of cases, Tam says.

The exception is pregnant women, because the MMR vaccine isn't recommended during pregnancy as it contains live virus that could theoretically be transmitted