Q: If I was vaccinated for measles when I started school years ago, do I need to get another shot?
—Frank Burnette, Decatur
A: If you have been vaccinated for measles, you don't need another one. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that you are considered "protected" from measles if you are in one of these categories:
- Written documentation of adequate vaccination, which includes:
- One or more doses of a measles-containing vaccine administered on or after the first birthday for preschool-age children and adults not at high risk
- Two doses of measles-containing vaccine for school-age children and adults at high risk, including college students, health care personnel and international travelers
- Laboratory evidence of immunity
- Laboratory confirmation of measles
- Birth in the U.S. before 1957
Q: Does Jeanne Phillips (“Dear Abby”) have a degree that prepared her to give advice to people who seem to desperately need help?
—Don Brown, Atlanta
A: Jeanne Phillips majored in English and anthropology at the University of Colorado and didn't intend on taking over writing the "Dear Abby" column from her mother, Pauline. "I majored in English and anthropology — the study of man. I love people, and find the study of other cultures to be fascinating," Phillips told the Bangor (Maine) Daily News in 2001.
She worked with her mom when she was younger and then edited her mom’s columns before taking over part of the writing responsibilities in the late 1980s. Jeanne Phillips became the sole author in 2002, when it became known that Pauline, who started the column in 1956, had Alzheimer’s disease.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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