A Child’s Death From Measles Sounds the Alarm on Vaccine Misinformation

For the first time in a decade, the U.S. has recorded a measles death; yesterday, an unvaccinated child succumbed to the disease in Lubbock, Texas.

It’s not an isolated case. Since late January, health authorities in Texas have reported 124 measles cases; several others have been reported in New Mexico and there’s been one confirmed new case in California. In Texas, the cases are mostly in children and teens who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Not long ago, measles was on the verge of eradication in the United States. This troubling comeback is an emergency for public health officials and family physicians like me.

Since 1974, vaccines have saved 154 million lives around the world – the vast majority of them children under 5 – making them the most lifesaving medical intervention in human history, according to a landmark 2024 Lancet study.

Unfortunately, there is widespread misinformation about vaccines that has fueled skepticism. Medical workers and public health practitioners must continue to educate patients, families and communities about the importance and effectiveness of immunizations for a wide range of diseases.

As a family physician, I have served generations of patients in my community of Jackson, Alabama, home to about 4,500 people. In practices like mine, building trust and open communication with patients is a hallmark of our specialty and one that is essential in addressing concerns about vaccines. Family physicians can answer questions and provide evidence-based information to help patients make educated decisions when it comes to vaccinating their families.

The recent measles outbreaks serve as a stark reminder of the crucial role vaccines play in preventing the spread of infectious – and preventable – diseases. Vaccines, like the combined one for measles, mumps and rubella, as well as those for the flu and COVID-19, are some of the most effective public health tools we have and are instrumental in controlling and preventing spread.

However, a continued uptick in measles outbreaks, in conjunction with low uptake of the flu and updated COVID-19 vaccines, highlights eroding trust in immunizations. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a trickling decline in MMR and other recommended childhood vaccine uptake, with national vaccination coverage rates for kindergarteners hovering just below 93%, down from the pre-COVID rate of 95% during the 2019-2020 school year. The study estimates the U.S. kindergarten population at some 3.8 million. If a little over 7% of them don’t have required vaccines, that’s around 280,000 students who are vulnerable to preventable diseases.

If we look at seasonal vaccines, we see similar trends of declining rates of vaccinations. This flu season, 45.8% of children have gotten their flu vaccine compared to 50.9% at this time last season and 59.9% in February of 2020. Moreover, just 23.1% of adults and 12.1% of children have gotten the latest coronavirus vaccination, a staggering drop from the 69.5% of the population who completed the primary series.

I know that these are frustrating statistics, but I also see this as an opportunity for family physicians across the country to educate our patients and address misconceptions. And there are a few myths I’d like to dispel right now:

Myth: Vaccines aren’t effective. Vaccines help the body build immunity to fight off infection and can greatly reduce hospitalizations and death. Smallpox took an estimated 300 million lives across the globe in the 20th century, but thanks to vaccines, there hasn’t been a reported case since 1978. History shows us that vaccines have eradicated diseases that were disabling and deadly in the past, and we can keep it that way, if we continue to vaccinate.

Myth: Vaccines can make people sick. The truth is that vaccines have an inactive or extremely weakened version of the virus or bacteria that cause the illness. The vaccine tricks the body into thinking it’s been exposed to the disease so the body triggers an immune response and produces antibodies to fight infection. That way, when someone is exposed to the real illness, defenses are already kicked into gear to ward off infection or at least lessen the impact of the exposure.

After getting a vaccine, some people may have side effects like fatigue and muscle aches, but these are generally mild and last a day or two. It’s a sign the vaccine is doing its job by creating an immune response.

Myth: Vaccines aren’t safe. This is one of the most common concerns I hear from patients who are hesitant to get vaccinated. The most important fact I want to stress is that vaccines are safe, effective and save lives. When a patient tells me that they’ve heard vaccines aren’t safe, I explain that vaccines go through a strict and rigorous development process – typically lasting several years – overseen by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before they are publicly available. I tell them that I’ve vaccinated my wife and my family. And we have a conversation about how vaccines give our bodies immunity to help fight off dangerous infections.

The consequences of vaccine hesitancy jeopardize the progress made in fighting highly contagious diseases. We need to acknowledge the impacts of these diseases on all populations, including children. Because young children are still developing their immune systems and different vaccines are given at different ages, it’s important for parents to keep their kids’ vaccinations up to date to prevent disease and boost immunity that may fade over time. We also know that vaccines help keep kids in school, allow them to more safely participate in activities and sports and curb community spread and disruptions to in-person learning. This continuity helps improve children’s quality of life, as well as their social and emotional development.

Questions about newer immunizations like the coronavirus vaccine are one thing. But declining vaccination rates in proven, long-administered vaccines like the one for MMR causes a new level of concern for me and my family physician colleagues. Health systems and family physicians have an important opportunity and responsibility to reassess and strengthen vaccination strategies. By addressing misinformation, we can collectively work towards a future where preventable diseases like measles are relegated to the history books, not the breaking news headlines.

Steven Furr, M.D., is a family physician in Jackson, Alabama, and the board chair of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

This commentary has been updated.

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