With the most recent outbreak of measles at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and Cal State LA (CSULA), health officials are working in the L.A. area to identify cases of people who may have had contact with the disease.

It is important for people to have an update on their immunization status, especially to check if they are vaccinated with the most current medicine.

Knowing your current immunization status is helpful as people are at risk for different diseases as adults, so vaccinations are one of the most convenient and safest preventative measures available.

With contagious diseases, like the measles, that can spread easy and quick through simply just a cough or sneeze, most people who are not vaccinated are at risk of getting sick quicker.

Those who are vaccinated can stop the disease or virus from spreading, however, many rely on their vaccines from their childhood.

Getting vaccinations in adolescent years, help people’s immune systems fight off any disease that could affect them. However, those vaccines wear off when one is an adult, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As children enter schools, depending on where they go, most public schools require vaccinations, but colleges and universities don’t have a requirement.

It is up to the staff and students to know if they are vaccinated because it can put others in danger of catching something.

Public campuses like El Camino College are prone for anyone to get infected by any virus and disease, due to anybody walking on and off campus who may not necessarily be a student or staff.

Fortunately, EC’s Health Center offers the MMR vaccine for $60, Susan Nilles, director of the El Camino College Health Center, said. They also offer a $7 titer test for students that lets them know if they have the measles immunization.

These are great resources that the campus offers, and for those who cannot afford the vaccine, they are directed to other clinics that can provide the work with insurance.

Also, EC’s Health Center is keeping close contact with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and will follow the correct protocol in the case of an outbreak, which is helpful in the case of an outbreak.

However, we should not always rely on our campus. People should be responsible for their own vaccines. It is always good to make sure you are up to date on all vaccinations.

If not, it is important to get vaccinated again and not rely on one when you were young.

Adults need to be aware of the vaccines their body needs depending on their age, health conditions, job, lifestyle, or travel habits. Everyone is different. It is also recommended that all adults get their yearly Influenza (flu) vaccine every year and Td or Tdap vaccine, also known as whooping cough, according to the CDC.

Vaccinations are an important factor in staying healthy and safe from any harmful diseases.

Now more than ever, with the measles outbreak, it is important to update your immunization status as people who are not vaccinated are at risk getting infected.

If students suspect themselves of having the measles, call the Health Center at (310) 660-3643 and stay in place to not infect other areas until health officials confirm all is clear.