Measles Update

After the hubby called me yesterday with the news of the guy in his office who potentially had the measles it was hard to concentrate. Did the guy at the office have the measles? Was the hubby immunized? Would I really be okay if I came into contact with somebody who had the measles? Would/should we be attending our HypnoBirthing class that evening?

By the time we'd left work yesterday, we still hadn't heard back from either the hubby's parents re: his immunization records or from his office re: the co-worker's medical status. He was COMPLETELY freaked out when I met up with him after work because a co-worker had sent him a measles fact sheet saying that an un-immunized pregnant woman could run the risk of premature labor or miscarriage. Oddly enough, I was the calm one. The poor guy looked like he'd seen a ghost, so I guess my reaction was to try to comfort him as he totally flipped out. I re-iterated the fact that I called the doctor's office and MotherRisk that afternoon, and that they said that the baby would be fine.

We got a hold of his parents just as we were eating dinner at Tim Horton's (the result of our kitchen having been gutted a day earlier). Unfortunately, it turns out that while he'd had the first measles vaccine, he'd never had the booster. According to Toronto Public Health, you're not considered a carrier as long as you've had your booster. I checked my records once we'd gotten home and found out that I've been immunized for the measles a whopping FOUR TIMES, so I would not be considered a carrier. The hubby, on the other hand, would be considered a carrier if office guy DID have the measles, so we thought it best to not attend the HypnoBirthing class that evening.

We were obviously bummed out, but it was the right thing to do. Besides, we hadn't heard back from his office re: the status of that co-worker, so we thought we'd be better safe than sorry. At any rate, since the disease apparently spreading like wildfire in downtown Toronto (probably parents getting it from their un-immunized kids attending daycare downtown), he is making arrangements to get that booster shot ASAP so that we don't have to go through this crap again.

At around 10:30pm, the hubby finally got word from his office that his co-worker DID NOT have the measles. Whew! Of course my first reaction was "Damn it, we could've gone to the HypnoBirthing class!", but I knew deep down inside that we'd done the right thing because:

1. Even if the mothers had been immunized and their babies would be safe, the fathers could get sick. And it's not like the measles is a fun illness to have.
2. If any of the mothers had not been immunized and something happened to one of the babies, we would NEVER forgive ourselves for it.
3. We would expect someone in the same situation to extend us the same courtesy.

Lesson learned.

And parents, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE VACCINATE YOUR KIDS ALREADY!!!