The ex-director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has called for enhanced, country-wide recommendations regarding infant vaccine dosages for preventing measles in a recent opinion piece published on Friday. In light of a surging measles outbreak, with over 200 cases reported in western Texas, the federal health agency issued an alert on March 7 advising parents in the affected area to consider administering an early third dose of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine to their children. While the CDC presently advises two vaccine doses, with the first administered between 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years, the proposed early third dose would be given starting at 6 months old. Texas health authorities have also recommended early vaccination for infants residing in outbreak zones. However, in the new publication in the medical journal JAMA, Dr. Rochelle Walensky and colleagues argue that the CDC should provide a more direct nationwide guidance. The suggested recommendations entail advising infants in any high-risk area in the U.S. to receive an early MMR vaccine dose and recommending an early dose for infants planning to travel to high-risk areas, nationally or internationally. The authors emphasize the importance of expanding early MMR vaccination beyond international travel to include high-risk regions within the U.S., citing a growing domestic measles threat due to recent outbreaks and low vaccination rates. Young children under 5 years old account for a significant portion of measles cases in the U.S. this year, and they have the highest hospitalization rate among all age groups. This age group is also at a heightened risk of experiencing measles-related complications, such as hospitalization, pneumonia, encephalitis, and even death.
