Understanding Immunologic Complications of Measles

“There has been a ton of cultural and political backlash against vaccinations, particularly mRNA vaccinations,” says Dr. Winthrop, “and there’s a lot of skepticism out there.”

Rates of MMR vaccination have decreased across the U.S. compared with six years ago, with some states showing particularly dramatic falls. Although some of this can be attributed to missed regular pediatric appointments due to the pandemic, rates have not fully bounced back in most states.¹⁰

Since the pandemic, some states have made efforts to loosen existing laws, allowing for more non-medical exemptions from vaccination requirements in public school children, Dr. Salmon noted. Historically, states with easy vaccine exemptions have been associated with higher rates of exemptions and higher rates of infections, such as pertussis, compared with states with more restrictive criteria.

“I think a lot of people have lost faith in vaccine recommendations,” says Dr. Calabrese. People may reasonably argue about the true need for seasonal COVID-19 vaccines. “But for measles, we have irrefutable data that infection can cause serious complications, and we have this vaccine that is almost 100% effective in preventing measles and incredibly safe,” she adds.

Learn More

For recommendations on MMR, influenza, pneumo­coccal, zoster and other vaccines for adults and children with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, see the ACR’s 2022 guideline.¹⁵

Ruth Jessen Hickman, MD, a graduate of the Indiana University School of Medicine, is a medical and science writer in Bloomington, Ind.

References

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