Helen Jiang, a doctor in Houston, is planning to vaccinate her baby early in the midst of the current deadly epidemic of measles in the state. She is providing the MMR vaccination to her patients beginning at six months of age. In an interview with PEOPLE, she says, “We are all concerned about the same thing.”
“I’ve never even heard of a measles outbreak remotely close to Texas, and this is the first time where it’s actually at home,” adds her family pediatrician, Dr. Alexis Monique Javier, who works at the Memorial Hermann Medical Group. “I want to thank you for bringing this to my attention.” According to her, “My patients are coming in and confirming that whatever runny nose that they have, they are just making sure that it is not measles.” She also mentions that there is “a heightened sense of fear now that the word measles is spread around.”
Upon beginning my pediatric residency and beginning to consult with patients, I was taken aback by the number of individuals who were opposed to vaccinations. Even while I was in medical school, I was under the impression that these immunizations are considered to be routine. We have to go and grab them. Even if the children may not like it when we do it, it is imperative that we do it.
When I first began working in the medical industry, it hit me like a ton of bricks when my parents told me, “Nope.” They had been told that the MMR vaccination caused autism, and despite the fact that scientific articles had disproved the relationship between the two, they continued to hold on to their views.
The MMR vaccination has been administered to both of my children, Maya, who is seven years old, and Bodhi, who is five years old. Lola, my daughter, is five months old at this point. When the epidemic began in Texas, I was not very worried about my older children; but, I had a newborn who had not had any vaccinations since she was born without any. Already at a very early stage, I was worried and considering the options available to me. Whenever she exhibits any symptoms of illness, I check to see that she does not have a rash attached to it. I do give her a more frequent check.
At the age of six months, I will provide the vaccination to my daughter. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends it for children at the age of 12 months, although they allow exceptions during epidemics. It will make me feel lot better. The relief will come to me. I am aware that this is just the first shot, and that the second one is more of a booster for it to raise up the percentage of protection, but I can assure you that there will be a sense of comfort that we at least have something. If parents are interested, my office will also begin administering vaccinations at the age of six months.
It was a tragic event for me to learn that a youngster in Texas had passed away as a result of measles. That is the simplest way to explain it, but I believe that it is probably the most correct way to describe it. This is also the case with the majority of individuals I know who deal with children, since we are aware that it is avoidable. We should not be seeing the death of children from measles or any other disease that may be prevented via vaccination in the year 2025. At the same time that I was wondering how terrible things might become, I was also experiencing some dread.
After that, I saw the interview we had with the parents. I want to have optimism that people continue to be informed and educated, but if the loss of this kid does not actually alter anyone’s perspective, particularly the parents’, then it is possible that this is not heading in the correct path.
In the direction that this anti-vaccination mentality is heading, it does seem a little bit — I don’t want to say hopeless because that is a pretty harsh phrase — but it does feel like we are in this cycle of misinformation and it is transmitted from person to person to person, and it spreads like wildfire, and it is very difficult to control.
In that regard, I do get the impression that we are all in danger. However, if it is not measles this time, then it will be something else the following time.
