Keeping your Child Safe from Measles

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CLEVELAND - New cases of measles are continuing to be reported across the United States, and that’s sure to cause concern for many parents.

So, what can they do to help keep their little ones safe?

“When we look at all the kids who are getting measles, both now and in all the previous years, the vast majority of them are not vaccinated or only have one vaccine,” said Frank Esper, MD, pediatric infectious disease specialist for Cleveland Clinic Children’s. “It is very rare for you to actually see a child with who received both doses of the vaccine to actually get measles.”

Dr. Esper said that’s why they strongly encourage parents to get their kids vaccinated.

The measles vaccine was developed back in the 1960s and is now given as part of the MMR vaccine.

The MMR vaccine provides protection against measles, mumps and rubella – all three are highly contagious viruses.

Dr. Esper caid MMR vaccine isn’t just important for self-protection but also for others who are unable to receive it, like babes under the age of 12 months old.

“There are some people who can't receive the vaccine because they're immune compromised or they're allergic to a component of the vaccine. And for those people, they really depend on all of us to be vaccinated to protect them,” said Dr. Esper. “It's called a ring of protection, so that if there's a child in the house who can't receive the vaccine because they're receiving cancer chemotherapy, or they were born with a weakened immune system, their other family members can all get vaccinated to protect that one child.”

Last month a child, who was unvaccinated, died from measles in Texas.

It’s the first measles-related death reported since 2015.