ATLANTA – Worry over the nation’s measles outbreak has placed renewed attention on vaccinations, and parents are learning that the measles vaccine isn’t generally for children under the age of one.
Why?
A case of the measles can lead to ear infections, pneumonia, and in rare cases, brain damage and death. There have been 704 confirmed cases of the measles in the U.S. this year in 22 states including Georgia. It’s the largest outbreak of measles since 1994.
According to the CDC, if someone with measles leaves a room and you enter two hours later, you can become infected if you aren’t vaccinated.
Children receive some vaccinations as early as one month. Some, like the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccine, isn’t recommended until the child is 12 months old.
When you get the measles vaccine, doctors are giving you a weakened form of the virus. It needs time to convince your body to create an immune response.
Moms transfer some antibodies to their babies that provide some protection from the measles, but that does wear off.
“Antibodies transferred from the mother to the baby can provide some protection from disease and make the MMR vaccine less effective until about one year of age,” says Lisa Black of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The American Academy of Pediatrics website states that children traveling overseas or living in a community experiencing an outbreak can receive the measles vaccine sooner. However, children should still get two additional shots, one at a 12-15 months and another at least 28 days later.
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