HEALTHY FAMILY
12 to 15 months and the second at 4 to 6 years.

Children younger than six months are not given
the MMR vaccine, but in some cases children
ages 6 to 12 months may receive a dose early,
for example, if a family will be traveling to a
place with an active measles outbreak, where
there is increased risk of exposure. If a child gets
two doses of the MMR vaccine before age 1, a
booster may be recommended at age 4.

Vaccines hold
the key
“Vaccinating is the best way to keep kids
safe,” says Dan Salmon, director of the
Institute for Vaccine Safety at the Johns
Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public
Health. “What we don’t want to happen is
what has happened in Europe, where tens
of thousands of kids have measles, and
kids are dying.”
Salmon stresses the importance of
families having a doctor they can turn to
with any questions. “Parents should find
a pediatrician they can trust and talk to
with any concerns,” he says, adding that
there really is no more effective way to
prevent measles than getting vaccinated
according to immunization schedules,
with two doses of the MMR vaccine. “It is
97 percent effective, which means 3 per-
cent are still vulnerable, but that’s a very
high rate of effectiveness,” he says. “And
the MMR vaccine is very safe. Any side
effects are very minor or quite rare.”
Hesitancy and
exemptions “One in three people may be hesitant
about vaccines, but only about 1 per-
cent are actually against them,” Salmon
says. If you look at legitimate scientific
sources, it is nearly impossible to find
factual evidence for opposing vaccines.

“Pseudo science” is easy to come by,
especially online, where it can be hard
to tell fact from fiction, he says, but
there is so much real, scientific infor-
mation out there to calm the fears of
anyone who is hesitant.

Some people have conditions that
necessitate exemption from vaccines.

Some individuals refuse vaccinations for
religious reasons and D.C., Maryland and
Virginia all allow that exemption.

Protect everyone’s children
Barring the truly necessary exceptions, the
bottom line is that people who can get vacci-
nated need to do so, ASAP. Salmon reminds
parents to reflect on how “the decision you
make affects not just your child, but oth-
ers.” Consider vulnerable kids who cannot
get vaccinated, he says, such as infants or
children with leukemia — their safety relies
on your choices, too, he says. “What you do
impacts not just your child, but other, more
vulnerable children.” ■
Want more info? Check out
these additional resources:
Maryland Department of Health:
health.maryland.gov/measles Virginia Department of Health:
vdh.virginia.gov Centers for Disease Control:
cdc.gov/vaccines/index.html The Center for
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