Iowa’s only had one confirmed case of measles this year, but outbreaks are popping up in other states with more than 2,300 cases nationwide.
As Iowa parents prepare their kids for the start of school, some are debating what vaccines, if any, they need.
Dr. Giridhar Mallya, senior policy officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation says the rise of measles is unfortunate, as it was eliminated from the U.S. in 2000.
“Across the country, we have seen more measles cases in the last 18 months than we have seen in the prior 25 years,” Mallya says. “This is just incredible. It’s sad because it’s completely preventable. We have a vaccine that works really, really well at preventing kids from getting measles and from suffering the complications.”
Mallya, a public health physician, is reminding parents in Iowa that making sure their child is vaccinated is the best way to decrease their risk of getting sick.
“The vast majority of parents are still choosing to get their kids vaccinated,” he says, “but a couple percentage point drop in a nation as large as ours means hundreds of thousands of children are going without vaccines.”
Mallya says deciding not to have a child vaccinated puts that child — and other children — at risk. He says parents need to stay informed, and not take advice from influencers on social media.
“If you have questions or concerns, talk to your child’s pediatrician or family doctor because that’s where you’re going to get the most accurate information to help you make an informed decision,” Mallya says, “and if you’re looking online for information about vaccines, go to aap.org. That’s the American Academy of Pediatrics.”
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Junior is a decades-long vaccine skeptic. Mallya says the administration is spreading vaccine misinformation, slashing funding to local health departments, and making changes to childhood vaccine recommendations, all of which undermine the safety and effectiveness of vaccines.
“We are seeing false information that’s meant to sow fear coming from the highest levels of government,” Mallya says. “I think the place to establish trust is in the doctor’s office because that’s the place that you can ask the questions that you have and get compassionate answers that are really informed by experience and good science.”
In addition to the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, Mallya says there’s a list of inoculations kids should have before returning to class. He again refers people to their doctor, or to aap.org. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the largest U.S. philanthropic foundation focused solely on health.
