Texas is experiencing a significant measles outbreak, with 762 reported cases. More than 94% of those affected had not received the measles vaccine. Physicians from the Texas Medical Association (TMA) are urging parents to ensure their children are vaccinated before returning to school.
“Giving your child a vaccine is an act of love. It’s one of the simplest, safest ways to protect them from serious harm,” said Lindy McGee, MD, chair of the TMA Committee on Child and Adolescent Health and a Houston pediatrician.
The state requires children attending public schools to receive the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, though exemptions exist for medical or personal reasons. The recommended schedule includes two doses: one between 12 and 15 months old, and another at ages 4 to 6 years, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). The two-dose series is considered about 97% effective in preventing measles.
DSHS also provides information on other vaccines required by grade level for students across Texas schools.
Doctors emphasize that widespread vaccination helps protect not only individual children but also those who cannot be vaccinated due to health conditions or compromised immune systems. “When we’re thinking about vaccinating, we are also thinking about protecting a newborn baby or a child who has acute leukemia and is undergoing treatment and their immune system isn’t working well,” Dr. McGee said.
Efforts to improve vaccination rates include support from TMA Foundation grants through its Vaccines Defend What Matters initiative. These grants fund education campaigns and community outreach programs in Texas.
Lirios Pediatrics in Austin, which receives such grant funding, operates as a free clinic for uninsured children and holds back-to-school immunization clinics. Claire Hebner, MD, co-founder and medical director of Lirios Pediatrics, noted that most families they serve want their children vaccinated: “Our [patient] population wants to go to school, and they have oftentimes seen diseases these vaccines prevent, so they want their children to be healthy,” she said.
Dr. McGee recalled her experience treating meningococcal disease before vaccines were available: “Seared in my brain is a moment from residency where I watched a teenager suffer with meningococcal disease,” she said. The illness can cause severe infection even under intensive care conditions; however, the meningococcal vaccine can prevent most bacterial forms of this disease.
Both Drs. Hebner and McGee agree that vaccination remains the most effective way for children to avoid serious illnesses. “I’ve been a pediatrician for 25 years. The biggest thing I can do to protect and promote health in kids is vaccinate. There’s nothing that’s more effective,” Dr. Hebner stated.
“I went into pediatrics because I am passionate about disease prevention … I would prefer to prevent rather than treat these terrible diseases and not see families suffer when their children are sick,” added Dr. McGee.
Additional resources for parents regarding vaccinations are available on TMA’s Vaccines Defend What Matters webpage.
