Infants Become Vulnerable 'Sitting Ducks' as Measles Outbreaks Spread Across U.S.
A severe measles outbreak in South Carolina, the largest in over three decades, has left infants under six months old highly vulnerable as they are too young to receive the MMR vaccine. While the state's specific outbreak has slowed, 17 new outbreaks have emerged across the U.S., threatening the nation's elimination status for the disease. Medical experts warn that babies rely entirely on herd immunity, which is eroding due to dropping vaccination rates and political resistance. In response, some pediatricians are administering early doses of the MMR vaccine to infants as young as six months. The crisis is compounded by federal policy shifts, including actions by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who advocates for reduced vaccination mandates, further endangering public health safety.
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Infants Become Vulnerable 'Sitting Ducks' as Measles Outbreaks Spread Across U.S.
A severe measles outbreak in South Carolina, the largest in over three decades, has left infants under six months old highly vulnerable as they are too young to receive the MMR vaccine. While the state's specific outbreak has slowed, 17 new outbreaks have emerged across the U.S., threatening the nation's elimination status for the disease. Medical experts warn that babies rely entirely on herd immunity, which is eroding due to dropping vaccination rates and political resistance. In response, some pediatricians are administering early doses of the MMR vaccine to infants as young as six months. The crisis is compounded by federal policy shifts, including actions by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who advocates for reduced vaccination mandates, further endangering public health safety.
AP News