Keep children protected with on-schedule immunizations

Published on Wednesday, January 1, 2025

By: Annie Oeth, aoeth@umc.edu

Outbreaks of preventable diseases such as measles and whooping cough show the importance of on-schedule childhood immunizations, experts at the University of Mississippi Medical Center say.

Even diseases such as polio, eliminated in the U.S., could still be a danger to those who are unvaccinated, said Dr. Thomas Dobbs, dean of the John D. Bower School of Population Health at UMMC.

“Polio is still found in other parts of the world, so this is not over,” Dobbs said. “It only would take one person with polio traveling from another country to bring polio to the U.S.”

On Dec. 19, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 284 cases of measles in 2024 in New York City plus 32 state jurisdictions including Louisiana, Tennessee and Georgia. The rate of pertussis, or whooping cough, was about six times higher, 32,085, in 2024 than it was during the same period of 2023, when there were 6,479, according to figures from Dec. 14.

Before a vaccine became available in the 1940s, pertussis was among the most common childhood diseases and a major cause of children’s deaths.

“Mississippi hasn’t had a death from pertussis in many years, and other vaccines have made a huge difference in children’s health,” Dobbs said. “Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) used to cause thousands of cases of meningitis a year.”

By the mid-1980s, Hib vaccines became available, and that rate of meningitis dropped from about 100 per 100,000 children down to less than 1 per 100,000.

Keeping children up to date on immunizations is essential to reducing the risk of potentially life-threatening diseases, said Dr. Roberto Santos, a professor of pediatric infectious diseases at UMMC who cares for patients at Children’s of Mississippi, the state’s only children’s hospital.

Mississippi requires immunizations for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP); polio; hepatitis; measles, mumps and rubella (MMR); and varicella (chicken pox) for school attendance. In 2023, a religious exemption option was added.

“For decades, Mississippi parents were required to vaccinate their children for school attendance,” Dobbs said. “Now we hope parents will immunize their children because, after talking with their pediatrician, they choose to.”

Recommended vaccination schedules are approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health care organizations. The schedule is designed to bring children the most beneficial effects of each vaccine.

“Trust your pediatrician,” Santos said. “If parents have questions about childhood immunizations, they should talk with their children’s pediatrician.”

Dr. Tanya Fitts, a pediatrician at Lafayette Pediatric Clinic in Oxford and president of the Mississippi Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, encourages parents to follow the recommended immunization schedule in most cases.

“Vaccines are one of the most effective tools we have to protect both individuals and communities from potentially life-threatening illnesses,” she said. “They are rigorously tested for safety and efficacy before they are approved for use, and ongoing monitoring ensures they remain both safe and effective. The importance of vaccines cannot be overstated, as they help prevent the resurgence of deadly diseases, reduce health care costs and save lives across populations.”

Staying up to date with vaccinations is essential for children’s health and well-being, as it ensures they are protected from a range of preventable, potentially serious illnesses, Fitts said.

“Vaccines are designed to offer the best protection when administered on time and in the recommended sequence. Delaying or skipping vaccines can leave your child vulnerable to diseases that can be severe or even life-threatening.”

Other benefits to vaccinations include preventing disease outbreaks and contributing to broader community immunity, safeguarding those who may be too young or unable to get vaccinated, she said.

“Consistently updating your child’s vaccinations provides long-term protection and helps ensure a healthier future for both your family and society.”

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