Instead of planning a summer filled with beach vacations and overnight camps,  three families planned funerals for their loved ones who died from measles related illnesses. Two of these funerals were for unvaccinated children.

As the summer approaches, we are halfway through the year 2025 and there have been 1,288 confirmed cases of measles. That’s more than 3.5 times the number of measles cases so far this year than the total number of cases diagnosed in the United States in all of 2024.

Measles continues to spread nationwide, reaching 39 states and jurisdictions. What once felt distant has now struck home, as measles has reached both of our home states.

As measles cases continue to rise, families are faced with the decision to proceed through the summer as usual, at the risk of exposing their child to a highly infectious, sometimes deadly disease, measles.

Parents make tough decisions every day, often weighing the risks and benefits of their actions and inactions. However, as measles was declared eliminated in the US in 2000, parents have not had to consider exposure risk in their plans.

The rise in measles cases can be attributed to declining vaccination rates. In accordance with The Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) recommendations for Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule by Age; children are typically vaccinated against measles at age 12-15 months and again at ages 4-6 years of age. This immunization is administered as a combination vaccine,  MMR, that prevents infections caused by Measles, Mumps, and Rubella.

However, fewer than 93% of children in kindergarten were vaccinated against measles for the 2023-2024 school year. That is less than the 95% needed for herd immunity. Herd immunity indirectly protects individuals who are unable to be immunized or have compromised immune systems; it relies on a significant  number of people being vaccinated against an illness to prevent transmission from one person to another. In other words, without herd immunity, those at the highest risk for measles, like children with cancer, immunodeficiencies and babies are left exposed and unprotected. This leads to young children suffering and is precisely what we are seeing in areas with low vaccination rates.

Measles was once a common illness amongst children and is known to spread through communities with low vaccination rates rapidly. Typical symptoms include high fevers, cough, red eyes and rash that sometimes resolve in a matter of days. Many kids with measles will feel ill and generally require care at home, and luckily many will make a full recovery. However, not everyone recovers. Measles can have devastating consequences that lead to hospitalizations, irreversible brain damage and even death.

Although we have studied vaccine preventable illnesses in medical school, many doctors in our generation and even the generation before us have not directly cared for children with these diseases due to decades of successful public health measures aimed at reducing the spread of communicable diseases. Today though,  the likelihood that we will care for a patient with a vaccine preventable illness seems inevitable.

We know that your child’s safety is one of your top priorities and that there are various historical, healthcare access, and concerns about adverse reactions caused by vaccines that influence a parent’s decision about vaccination. Not to mention multiple sources of information that can often conflict. As pediatricians, we understand the science behind vaccines and are proud that they are one of the most studied areas of medicine. Vaccines are safe and effective.

Additionally, as pediatricians, caregivers in our own families, and child advocates our hope is that every child has the opportunity to grow into adulthood. We partner with parents to provide guidance based on evidence and experience to support the needs of each child and their family.

We and pediatricians across the nation agree that, “One death from a preventable disease is one too many.”

We urge you to make an appointment to talk with your pediatrician about your concerns regarding vaccination against measles. If your child is vaccinated, we ask that you encourage another parent or friend to discuss their hesitations with a trusted medical provider.

The measles vaccine saves lives. Together we can work towards a nation, where we again eliminate measles in the US and every child grows up to reflect on their childhood summer experiences.