Parkland stresses immunization as measles cases reach 25-year high

It’s easy to think once-common childhood diseases are things of the past, but serious outbreaks of measles this year prove that children (and adults) in the United States can—and do— still get these preventable diseases. In an effort to educate the public about the importance and benefits of vaccination, especially among children, Parkland Health & Hospital System will take part in National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) from April 27 to May 4.

“Vaccines are the most successful and cost-effective public health tools available for preventing disease and death,” said Dr. Susana Lazarte, MD, Parkland Infectious Diseases specialist and Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. “They not only help protect vaccinated individuals but also help protect entire communities by preventing and reducing the spread of dangerous infectious diseases.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), dozens of new cases of measles are being reported weekly in the U.S., bringing the current total to the highest number in the past five years. Measles has been found in more than a third of U.S. states, including Texas. The highly contagious disease, declared “eradicated” in the U.S. in 2000 thanks to massive nationwide immunization efforts, has made a strong – and dangerous – comeback as more parents opt out of vaccinating their children. The World Health Organization declared this so-called “vaccine hesitancy” one of the top global threats of 2019.

“This is a very concerning trend and a major challenge to healthcare providers who are trying to educate the public about the serious health risks associated with these illnesses,” said Dr. Lazarte. “Vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, mumps and chickenpox can infect both children and adults.”

According to the CDC, important milestones reached in controlling vaccine-preventable diseases among infants worldwide include:

• Drastically reducing infant death and disability caused by preventable diseases in the United States.
• Protecting infants and children from 14 vaccine-preventable diseases before age 2.
• Routine childhood immunization among children born 1994-2018 will prevent an estimated 419 million illnesses, 26.8 million hospitalizations, and 936,000 early deaths over the course of their lifetimes, at a net savings of $406 billion in direct costs and $1.9 trillion in total societal costs.

Healthcare providers like Dr. Lazarte emphasize the importance of following the recommended immunization schedule to protect infants and children by providing immunity early in life, before they encounter potentially life-threatening diseases.

“I don’t think we realize what life used to be like before the widespread use of vaccines. Because of their success, many parents may not have heard of the serious diseases they prevent,” Dr. Lazarte said. “It’s important to remember diseases including the measles, polio, mumps, rubella, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, and diphtheria can be especially serious for infants and young children.”

As the mother of a three-year-old child, Dr. Lazarte added, “I worry about taking my child to places and schools with low vaccination rates. Knowing that he’s up to date with the recommended vaccines gives me peace of mind.”

Parkland’s Community Oriented Primary Care (COPC) health centers offer vaccines as part of the Walk-In Wednesday program. Dallas County residents can receive vaccines at any Parkland COPC without making an appointment from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. every Wednesday throughout the fall and winter months. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 214-266-4000.

“Vaccination is a shared responsibility,” Dr. Lazarte added. “Families, healthcare professionals, and public health officials must work together to help protect the entire community.”