Parents of Babies Who Are Too Young for Measles Vaccine Worry About Outbreaks

Since the West Texas measles outbreak began in late January, Dr. Ana Montanez, a pediatrician in Lubbock, has had some difficult conversations with families.

There was the worried phone call with the mother of an unvaccinated toddler in Gaines County, the epicenter of the outbreak, who had developed a high fever and persistent cough.

And there have been some tense talks with families about questionable remedies like cod liver oil and vitamin A, both of which have been touted by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the newly minted health and human services secretary.

“The families that I touch base with in Gaines County — they are fearful and concerned,” said Dr. Montanez, who practices at Texas Tech University Health Science Center. The county has had low childhood vaccination rates for years.

But the “toughest” conversations she has had are with parents of babies under 6 months old, who are too young to be vaccinated against the highly contagious disease, Dr. Montanez said. Aside from urging parents of unvaccinated babies to make sure anyone who spends time with their children is vaccinated, there is only so much comfort she can offer — particularly to those who need to work and send their children to day care.

“I’ll say, ‘If we can’t vaccinate them, I wouldn’t recommend day care,’ ” she said. “‘But I completely understand that you have to work.’ ”

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