The measles outbreak that started in Disneyland raised the specter of infectious diseases in parents’ minds. Since then, cases have been reported in 17 states and the District of Columbia. As measles comes closer to home, moms and dads grapple with mixed emotions — anxiety about their children’s risk, desire to protect them and bafflement over parents who choose not to immunize their kids against vaccine-preventable illnesses.
The recommended age for the first of two MMR vaccines — for measles, mumps and rubella — starts at 1 year old. While babies are born with protective antibodies from their mothers, that natural immunity fades within months, leaving a window where they’re more vulnerable to infectious illnesses. Vaccination is not advised for some children with severely weakened immune systems, nor pregnant women. So they depend on the herd immunity that builds as entire populations are vaccinated.
If you’re the parent of an infant or vulnerable child, how do you cope with parents who reject or delay vaccination? What if you’re unsure about immunity status in family members or others who come in contact with your kids? Here’s how one mother deals with the situation, along with advice from a pediatrician who’s passionate about the need for immunization:
Keep more distance. Nikki Floyd Magers, a consultant in the District of Columbia, is the mother of two sons: a 3-year-old boy and a 6-month-old baby who was born prematurely. “I have several friends [with small children], and we’re all very concerned,” she says.
“Obviously the odds [of contracting measles] are slim,” she says, “but it’s just the fact that it’s out there at all. We’ve spent most of our lives operating under the assumption that these diseases did not pose a threat to us, and now to be in a situation where they do is a little unsettling.”
The possibility has changed Magers’ behavior when she takes her baby out in his carrier. “In general, we do try to avoid places we know are going to be really crowded,” she says. “I definitely walk and look around a little differently now when I take him to the grocery store or Target. I’m trying to keep a little more distance between me and other people.”
Talk to your pediatrician. Magers recalls when she and her husband had their first son. “We weren’t shopping for a pro-vaccination doctor or anything,” she says, but the topic came up. “My pediatrician, when we initially met with her, was fairly adamant that she vaccinates children on the prescribed schedule,” she says. “She made a point of telling us early on that she’s very by the book.” That was “refreshing” and reassuring for the new parents to hear.
Wendy Sue Swanson, a pediatrician and executive director of digital health at Seattle Children’s Hospital, has devoted a series of blogs to immunization.
With the ongoing measles outbreak, Swanson deals with a slew of parental concerns, in and away from the clinic. “I’m hearing it everywhere,” she says. Some parents, especially those whose children have immune-system problems, are looking for pediatricians who turn away families who don’t vaccinate.
Swanson, however, is not in that category. “Pediatricians come in all flavors,” she says. “At heart, I’m an educator and a communicator and a listener.” In her practice, she says, “I’ve taken parents from full-out refusing vaccines or even being hesitant about vaccines, and I’ve helped them build trust in the science and the decision to vaccinate their children on time.”
Provide a cocoon. Should parents of infants avoid families who don’t vaccinate? “In some ways, I don’t know why they wouldn’t select to be in a safe environment,” Swanson says. “When they buckle babies in car seats; when they put their babies on their backs to sleep; when they work hard to give them organic food — what we’re all doing is protecting our children. Vaccines are just the same thing, and the cocoon we want to provide our children is really important, too.” That cocoon is made up of people who are protected against communicable illnesses.
Don’t fret needlessly. “If your child’s vaccinated, you don’t have to be very concerned,” Swanson says. “We have a highly infectious disease like measles that we have to be really worried about when we’re not protected — but we have this highly effective vaccine.” If your child is up to date on MMR immunization (the second dose is given between ages 4 and 6), she says, “You should feel really good.”
Check out local schools. In some states, you can check vaccination status for kindergarten classes at local elementary schools on SchoolDigger.com. You may be reassured by seeing rates approaching 100 percent.
Be tactful, but ask. Ask about immunization status as needed, whether it’s a parent who wants a play date, a potential babysitter or a preschool administrator. Swanson suggests taking the tone, “I want this preschool to have locks on the door and safety equipment and healthy, engaged teachers. But I also want a community that’s immunized and protected to cocoon my baby every way that I can.”
She knows of one new mother who, during a previous (non-measles) outbreak, sent a tactful announcement inviting people to come meet the baby — once visitors’ immunizations were up to date.
Get grandparents on board. When the adults in your baby’s life aren’t sure about their immunization status, encourage them to check with their doctors. “The hardest conversation is with your mother-in-law who says, ‘I’m healthy, don’t worry about me.'” Swanson says. “As a new mother, you can say, ‘I’m just learning to protect my baby.'” Explain that with measles, people can be contagious several days before a rash appears. Focus on the importance of surrounding your baby with people who are immunized.
Express positivity. Families “who are excited about the great protection that vaccines provide” should talk about that to other parents, Swanson says. “So we’re not just hearing from the parents who are worried, but [also] people who trust in the science and safety of vaccines.”
For her part, Magers says the last few months of vaccine discussion have been “interesting.” However, she adds, “labeling it as a debate feels a little weird, because it doesn’t seem like there’s anything to discuss. There’s not much of a debate here in my mind.”
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Parents’ Guide to Dealing With People Who Don?t Vaccinate Their Kids originally appeared on usnews.com
