In The News: Should Babies in Measles Outbreak Areas Get an Extra MMR Shot?

Medpage Today shares reporting on support to expand vaccine recommendations in response to the measles outbreak centered in Texas. An extra dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine for infants aged six to 11 months who live or travel to areas in the U.S. affected by the current outbreak has been endorsed by the former head of the CDC and others in an op-ed for a journal and an online publication. Such domestic expansion would match the international travel recommendation by ACIP.

In their op-ed the authors wrote, “”With vaccination rates declining, cases rising, and healthcare providers encountering their first cases of a disease once eliminated, we believe it is time to re-evaluate national measles immunization guidelines, particularly to safeguard a vulnerable group still not fully accounted for in vaccination recommendations: our youngest infants.”

The article notes the Red Book includes a note on the measles vaccine’s efficacy for infants in this age group during a community-wide outbreak. Op-ed authors shared that there is a gap between the protective antibodies passed on from the mother during pregnancy and the timing of the first recommended dose of the vaccine at 12 months. While not a period of concern during the time that measles was considered eliminated, it is significant while cases are surging. The authors say the recommendations should reflect the current reality.

With the youngest and most vulnerable at risk of contracting measles, the authors advocate for the updated recommendation. It is a necessity in light of the outbreak, declining vaccine confidence, and the proliferation of misinformation.

PIDS member Mary Caserta is among the experts responding to the recommendation. She shared, “[S]cience and medicine changes with time as we gain more data and information. So, if we have data showing that there’s an increased risk of measles in the United States, I’m definitely in favor of reviewing our immunization guidelines to see what we can do to best protect our children.”