MMR Titer - More Information

The MMR titer, sometimes known as an MMR immunity test, MMR test, MMR blood test and an MMR lab test, measures MMR blood IgG antibody levels to check for MMR immunity. Through Accesa Labs, people can order an MMR titer test, get tested at a local lab, and get results electronically, typically in a few business days.

What is an MMR Titer Test?

MMR is an acronym that represents three different types of contagious infections - measles, mumps and rubella. While caused by separate types of infectious agents, these three infectious are typically lumped together because they are preventatively managed with the single MMR vaccine. Because they are commonly encountered in healthcare and school settings, proof of MMR immunity through the MMR blood titer test or documentation of MMR vaccination is frequently required by schools and healthcare organizations. The MMR titer is frequently ordered with the hepatitis B titer and the varicella titer, all of which are part of the immunization titer panel. When people also need tuberculosis screening, the QuantiFERON test is often added as well.

Who Should Get an MMR Titer Test?

The MMR titer is ordered by a wide range of people who need documented proof of measles, mumps, and rubella immunity for compliance, employment, education, or personal health purposes.

Healthcare workers

Nurses, physicians, medical assistants, dental hygienists, pharmacy technicians, and other healthcare professionals are typically required to demonstrate MMR immunity as a condition of employment or clinical placement. Many nursing schools, medical schools, and allied health programs require incoming students to provide MMR immunity documentation before beginning clinical rotations. Healthcare settings carry a heightened risk of MMR exposure because patients may present with these infections — measles in particular spreads extremely easily in clinical settings, making confirmed immunity an important safety requirement for all healthcare personnel.

Vendor credentialing compliance

Medical device representatives, pharmaceutical sales representatives, and other healthcare contractors who require hospital or clinical facility access must generally maintain current MMR immunity documentation through vendor credentialing platforms such as symplr, RepTrax, and Vendormate. The MMR titer is among the most commonly required immunization tests on these platforms and is frequently ordered alongside the hepatitis B titer, QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus test and varicella titer. The standard laboratory PDF results report provided by Accesa Labs is accepted by all major vendor credentialing platforms.

College and university students

Adults concerned about measles outbreaks

Measles outbreaks in the United States have increased significantly in recent years. Adults who are unsure whether their childhood MMR vaccination provided lasting immunity or who received one or fewer doses of the MMR vaccine may wish to confirm their current immunity status using the MMR titer.

People without vaccination records

Many adults do not have accessible MMR vaccination documentation. Rather than defaulting to revaccination, many people choose to first confirm their immunity status through an MMR titer. A positive result on all three components confirms immunity without requiring the MMR vaccination series.

International travelers

Measles remains common in many parts of the world, including regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Adults traveling internationally are advised to ensure they have confirmed MMR immunity before travel, especially when traveling to areas with outbreaks. The CDC recommends that adults born after 1957 who cannot confirm prior vaccination or immunity have their MMR status verified before international travel.

How To Get an MMR Titer at Accesa Labs

1. Click Add to Cart to add the MMR titer to your cart. Checkout will involve choosing a nearby lab and entering some information.
2. Get your blood drawn at a local lab. Appointments are available and MMR testing visits typically take 15-30 minutes.
3. Get an email when your results are ready. Access and download your MMR titer results electronically.

Accesa Labs makes MMR titer testing fast, affordable and secure. No health insurance or subscription is required.

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MMR Testing - How It Works

The MMR titer is used to check for MMR immunity through measuring immunoglobulin G (IgG) blood antibody levels that protect against the three types of infections. The most common reason that someone might already have MMR immunity is because they previously received the MMR vaccine series. The MMR vaccine series is routinely given to children in the United States and in many other places. The MMR vaccine is a weakened live virus vaccine that gives the recipient a very mild case of each infection. In doing so, the immune system "learns" what MMR infections look like and generates memories of them that usually lead to MMR immunity. If one is exposed to a covered pathogen after a successful MMR immunization series, the body can mount an effective IgG antibody response that immediately clears out the infection. For many people, receiving the MMR vaccine series can confer lifelong immunity which can be measured by performing and MMR titer antibody blood test. The MMR vaccine is often recommended for adults born after 1970 who have not been immunized and may not be suitable for younger infants. Various factors influence what type of MMR antibody immune response is seen after vaccination. Additionally, the stability of MMR titer levels over time can vary from person to person.

Infrequently, another reason someone might have MMR immunity and a positive MMR test result is because they were actually infected by mumps, measles and rubella in the past. With the widespread adoption of the MMR vaccine, it is unusual to find someone who had all three MMR infections and recovered. Should this be the case, the body's immune system typically develops native immunity which is protective in case one is exposed to one or more of the MMR infections in the future. If one is getting an MMR titer to check for immunity, they have presumably recovered from all three infections and should demonstrate immunity in their blood titer results.

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MMR Blood Test - Understanding Results

And so, this MMR titer is designed to check for MMR immunity by measuring the IgG antibody blood levels for the three MMR components - the measles titer, mumps titer, rubella titer. Typically, the gold standard MMR titer is a quantitative, or numerical, titer that reports an actual number result as opposed to positive (reactive) or negative (nonreactive). Getting an MMR titer test near you is relatively straightforward as most local lab locations have the necessary equipment to run the MMR test after the blood has been drawn. MMR lab results come back fairly quickly and the results are not difficult to interpret.

In looking at the sample MMR lab test report provided above, the IgG antibody levels for measles, mumps and rubella are reported as numbers in the results column. Under that is a reference range provided by the lab that includes a value and interpretation of the value. If the IgG number reported falls with the positive range, that means one is immune to the MMR component being reviewed. If one is negative that means that one is not immune and, in most cases, will need to get the MMR vaccine series again even if two out of three come back with immunity. An equivocal MMR titer component result generally is interpreted as negative (i.e. requiring the MMR immunization series) although some people might consider repeating the MMR blood test to see a second lab result shows a clear positive or negative MMR titer.

In the absence of MMR vaccination documentation, many people still opt to get an MMR titer test before getting the MMR vaccine series again. The reason for this is that the MMR vaccine, as mentioned, is a weakened live virus vaccine and there is always a risk of getting sick from a live vaccine. Additionally, the MMR vaccine series requires two doses spread out by twenty eight days which adds extra cost and inconvenience to the MMR immunity process.

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If you are looking for other types of titer tests, please see our titer test page. For compliance purposes, a 9 panel drug screening test is sometimes needed at the same time as MMR titer results.

MMR Titer and Vaccine Resource

CDC - MMR