Worth adding: The simple, well proven, correct public health response to this geographically focused measles outbreak is a localized MMR vaccination campaign. This will create local herd immunity and stop the spread. Because of Texas culture, legal restraints on the CDC and Secretary Kennedy's incompetence this is unlikely to happen. More cases will ensue and other deaths are possible.
Not the time to be the parent of a four year old with cancer undergoing treatment. He has to be revaccinated after he completes treatment but measles is probably the scariest vaccine preventable illness for pediatric cancer patients right now. Not cool. Not cool at all.
And if I hear one more person use the argument “why should I risk permanently disabling my child (by vaccinating them) to protect yours? Keep your kid indoors if you are so afraid!” I might actually explode like Anger from Inside Out.
I'm so sorry. It is maddening that many people are so careless with others' lives and well-beings. That's a horrible thing for people to say to the parent of sick child. I feel like Anger about that too!
A few years ago my state, Maine, was voting on vaccine exemptions for school children (I believe that it was to eliminate philosophical exemptions), and I felt extremely strongly about it. My sister was going through cancer treatments and my littlest kids had only recently grown old enough to complete their major vaccine series. The importance of having that critical mass of vaccinated people in order to not endanger those who are immune-compromised or babies was something that I had very big feelings about.
Fortunately Maine's vaccine laws are good. Fortunately my family is able to do our part for the greater good. But, horrifyingly, there are far too many people like your family who've been put in a terrible position due to the poor decisions of others. I'm so sorry.
Gosh I am sooooo sorry. I can't imagine how scary and frustrating this must be for you. I can't believe the ignorance and heartlessness of these people :(.
I am old so there weren’t measles vaccinations available when I was a child. I got measles as a teenager and was extremely ill for several weeks. Please vaccinate your children!
In 1977-79, I was a young trainee epidemiologist assigned by CDC to the Montana Dept of Health. At the time Montana had about 800,000 residents. In my second year we had over 2000 reported cases of measles, almost all in school-age children and their families. This experience helped persuade the Montana legislature to adopt its first vaccine requirements for school attendance, including for measles. I hate to think we might need such an experience again to get vaccine coverage up to the needed levels.
After reading your suggestion about getting vaccinated because of my birth years, I contacted my doctor's office. They will not vaccinate without checking the patient's titres first to see if the patient already has immunity to measles from a childhood vaccination. (They put in an order for a blood test.) I just wanted to pass that along.
VRBPAC meeting regarding flu vaccine has been canceled with no explanation yet. Last week, the CDCs vaccine meeting was canceled. Is there any hope that these vaccines will be available to Americans? I'm terrified.
I think it critical that the Texas DOH, the Senators Cruz and Coryn, the Gov Abbott, and the congressional representatives stand tall to support the vaccine. Ronnie Jackson is a physican and can speak to the validity of the disease I would also suggest that the hospital do a press conference to demonstrate to the citizens the severity at hand
I am not a constituent but have contacted Senators Cruz, Cornyn and Congressman Arrington on X. Maybe everyone can call them out ! Interestingly not ONE word about measles from them on social media ( that I could find )
The parents of this poor child should be charged with felony child abuse. Religious beliefs are not an excuse for putting your child in a clearly dangerous and easily, easily preventable situation. This child is dead for one reason only, which is that he or she was unfortunate enough to have religious fanatics and science deniers for parents. Unfortunately, this being Texas Greg Abbott will probably give the parents a medal. I'm sure we'll hear all about how this "God's will", that convenient catchall excuse for human stupidity.
I’m concerned about the tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas. We no longer get the tuberculosis vaccine in our childhood vaccines and I contacted my sons pediatrician asking if I could get him a tuberculosis vaccine and he kind of shot me down and implied that since it’s not in our area there’s no point. Do you have any thoughts on this? I’m in Texas and yes, we’re fully vaccinated against measles in my house.
I wish your Dr offered a more complete answer as to why the "general population" is not at immediate risk for TB...not living or working with an infected family or immediate community the risk of contracting TB is quite low.
What we used to get sometimes in the US at the same time vaccines were given was a tuberculosis TEST not a vaccine. Routine testing is no longer done for the reasons John Fontaine explains. In parts of the world where there is more TB, people are sometimes given BCG because it may help to prevent severe TB. However, it makes the results of TB skin testing very difficult to interpret. In areas of low TB incidence like the US, reliable test results to be able to treat and prevent any further spread are more important than preventing an infection that is unlikely to occur. Hope that makes sense. - Virginia Fitzgerald, MD, MPH (pediatrician)
It’s heartbreaking that children, who must rely on their parents to protect them, will die because their parents are too uneducated/underinvormed/misinformed to protect them.
The advice of primary care physicians/family medicine docs and vaccine requirements for enrollment in schools should be enough to protect our nation's children from preventable diseases. Medical training must include strategies for physicians to teach parents about the importance and safety of vaccines. Pressure put on state governors and state politicians is needed to help school administrators and their admissions teams uphold vaccination requirements in the public schools. Speaking of rights, parents need to focus more on the rights of the children they bear to survive childhood diseases.
You could ask your Dr or primary HCP to do a measles titre to assess your "natural" immunity, however even with natural immunity from your early yr's a simpler & definitive alternative is attend your public health unit and receive a MMR booster dose. JJF 🇨🇦 certified travel medicine consultant
YLE, I think most of us on this Substack agree wholeheartedly with all of your points. How do we get the facts to those who have been misinformed, misled, misguided about vaccines? How many outbreaks, illness, and deaths until that happens?
I was born in 1953 and had measles and mumps as a child, never vaccinated since I had immunity and they weren’t available yet. My husband born 1952 also had measles as a child and mumps as an adult, also never vaccinated since they weren’t available. Should we get a blood titer to see if our immunity is still strong enough or just go ahead and get the MMR vaccine?
Thank you for this important and compassionate message. I've had my kids asking if they were vaccinated (born in the '80s) - a resounding yes, but I'm glad they checked.
Worth adding: The simple, well proven, correct public health response to this geographically focused measles outbreak is a localized MMR vaccination campaign. This will create local herd immunity and stop the spread. Because of Texas culture, legal restraints on the CDC and Secretary Kennedy's incompetence this is unlikely to happen. More cases will ensue and other deaths are possible.
Not the time to be the parent of a four year old with cancer undergoing treatment. He has to be revaccinated after he completes treatment but measles is probably the scariest vaccine preventable illness for pediatric cancer patients right now. Not cool. Not cool at all.
And if I hear one more person use the argument “why should I risk permanently disabling my child (by vaccinating them) to protect yours? Keep your kid indoors if you are so afraid!” I might actually explode like Anger from Inside Out.
I'm so sorry. It is maddening that many people are so careless with others' lives and well-beings. That's a horrible thing for people to say to the parent of sick child. I feel like Anger about that too!
A few years ago my state, Maine, was voting on vaccine exemptions for school children (I believe that it was to eliminate philosophical exemptions), and I felt extremely strongly about it. My sister was going through cancer treatments and my littlest kids had only recently grown old enough to complete their major vaccine series. The importance of having that critical mass of vaccinated people in order to not endanger those who are immune-compromised or babies was something that I had very big feelings about.
Fortunately Maine's vaccine laws are good. Fortunately my family is able to do our part for the greater good. But, horrifyingly, there are far too many people like your family who've been put in a terrible position due to the poor decisions of others. I'm so sorry.
Gosh I am sooooo sorry. I can't imagine how scary and frustrating this must be for you. I can't believe the ignorance and heartlessness of these people :(.
I am old so there weren’t measles vaccinations available when I was a child. I got measles as a teenager and was extremely ill for several weeks. Please vaccinate your children!
Me too, old...and...all my 3 kids were vaccinated
In 1977-79, I was a young trainee epidemiologist assigned by CDC to the Montana Dept of Health. At the time Montana had about 800,000 residents. In my second year we had over 2000 reported cases of measles, almost all in school-age children and their families. This experience helped persuade the Montana legislature to adopt its first vaccine requirements for school attendance, including for measles. I hate to think we might need such an experience again to get vaccine coverage up to the needed levels.
We are living in end times thanks to Maga / Maha
After reading your suggestion about getting vaccinated because of my birth years, I contacted my doctor's office. They will not vaccinate without checking the patient's titres first to see if the patient already has immunity to measles from a childhood vaccination. (They put in an order for a blood test.) I just wanted to pass that along.
VRBPAC meeting regarding flu vaccine has been canceled with no explanation yet. Last week, the CDCs vaccine meeting was canceled. Is there any hope that these vaccines will be available to Americans? I'm terrified.
I think it critical that the Texas DOH, the Senators Cruz and Coryn, the Gov Abbott, and the congressional representatives stand tall to support the vaccine. Ronnie Jackson is a physican and can speak to the validity of the disease I would also suggest that the hospital do a press conference to demonstrate to the citizens the severity at hand
I am not a constituent but have contacted Senators Cruz, Cornyn and Congressman Arrington on X. Maybe everyone can call them out ! Interestingly not ONE word about measles from them on social media ( that I could find )
The parents of this poor child should be charged with felony child abuse. Religious beliefs are not an excuse for putting your child in a clearly dangerous and easily, easily preventable situation. This child is dead for one reason only, which is that he or she was unfortunate enough to have religious fanatics and science deniers for parents. Unfortunately, this being Texas Greg Abbott will probably give the parents a medal. I'm sure we'll hear all about how this "God's will", that convenient catchall excuse for human stupidity.
Regulate women’s bodies but ignore the gigantic problem before us all?
How stupid can legislators be?
Agree with Mark Lewis. Parents have responsibility for their kids health.
I’m concerned about the tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas. We no longer get the tuberculosis vaccine in our childhood vaccines and I contacted my sons pediatrician asking if I could get him a tuberculosis vaccine and he kind of shot me down and implied that since it’s not in our area there’s no point. Do you have any thoughts on this? I’m in Texas and yes, we’re fully vaccinated against measles in my house.
I wish your Dr offered a more complete answer as to why the "general population" is not at immediate risk for TB...not living or working with an infected family or immediate community the risk of contracting TB is quite low.
What we used to get sometimes in the US at the same time vaccines were given was a tuberculosis TEST not a vaccine. Routine testing is no longer done for the reasons John Fontaine explains. In parts of the world where there is more TB, people are sometimes given BCG because it may help to prevent severe TB. However, it makes the results of TB skin testing very difficult to interpret. In areas of low TB incidence like the US, reliable test results to be able to treat and prevent any further spread are more important than preventing an infection that is unlikely to occur. Hope that makes sense. - Virginia Fitzgerald, MD, MPH (pediatrician)
It’s heartbreaking that children, who must rely on their parents to protect them, will die because their parents are too uneducated/underinvormed/misinformed to protect them.
The advice of primary care physicians/family medicine docs and vaccine requirements for enrollment in schools should be enough to protect our nation's children from preventable diseases. Medical training must include strategies for physicians to teach parents about the importance and safety of vaccines. Pressure put on state governors and state politicians is needed to help school administrators and their admissions teams uphold vaccination requirements in the public schools. Speaking of rights, parents need to focus more on the rights of the children they bear to survive childhood diseases.
What would your recommendation be for those of us born before 1957???
You could ask your Dr or primary HCP to do a measles titre to assess your "natural" immunity, however even with natural immunity from your early yr's a simpler & definitive alternative is attend your public health unit and receive a MMR booster dose. JJF 🇨🇦 certified travel medicine consultant
My doctor's office has the policy of giving a blood test to see if the patient is still immune or not.
YLE, I think most of us on this Substack agree wholeheartedly with all of your points. How do we get the facts to those who have been misinformed, misled, misguided about vaccines? How many outbreaks, illness, and deaths until that happens?
I was born in 1953 and had measles and mumps as a child, never vaccinated since I had immunity and they weren’t available yet. My husband born 1952 also had measles as a child and mumps as an adult, also never vaccinated since they weren’t available. Should we get a blood titer to see if our immunity is still strong enough or just go ahead and get the MMR vaccine?
Here's the CDC's page with answers to your questions (look now before Trump kills the page):
"Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) Vaccination: What Everyone Should Know"
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/mmr/public/index.html
Thank you for this important and compassionate message. I've had my kids asking if they were vaccinated (born in the '80s) - a resounding yes, but I'm glad they checked.