Guest Columnist
I am a MemorialCare Medical Group pediatrician, an advocate for children, and a working parent, and like many of you, concerned about the recent outbreak of measles, which appears to have little end in sight.
This outbreak which threatens the lives of my children and your children is completely preventable. If we all make sure that we ourselves and our children are vaccinated against measles, we can stop this outbreak. Now.
We can protect those who aren’t or can’t be vaccinated, including infants, children with cancer on chemotherapy, and children who are immune suppressed due to HIV or having received an organ transplant.
My son, who received a heart transplant at 10 months due to a heart condition, can’t receive the live measles vaccine since his immune system is suppressed to protect his transplanted heart. He relies on “herd immunity,” the concept that a community of vaccinated children protects the one or two that are vulnerable. But when part of the community declines vaccinations based on personal beliefs and not scientifically sound information, suddenly all our children are at risk, especially those most vulnerable children who can’t be vaccinated for medical reasons.
As a parent, I have a unique, direct and personal experience with this issue. As a physician, I am joined by all my colleagues across MemorialCare Health System, including Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital and MemorialCare Medical Group, in a commitment to practice evidence-based medicine, which includes unequivocally advocating for immunization against childhood diseases.
Please protect your child. Please protect our children. Please protect my son. Please make sure your child is up to date on their measles immunization with the MMR vaccine. If you haven’t, do it now before an innocent child dies a preventable death. It could be yours. It might be mine. We are all responsible. Do the right thing.
Marnie Baker is a MemorialCare Medical Group pediatrician in Irvine.
