NBCDFW: Fort Worth doctor reflects on measles outbreak in 1990
As state health officials monitor the current outbreak of measles in West Texas, Julee Morrow, M.D., a pediatrician at Cook Children’s Pediatrics Southwest, recalls treating kids in the early 90s when a large measles outbreak happened in Texas.
"There's really no reason why we should have to go through this again," said Dr. Morrow. “We're all really sad about it, we're really, really concerned because we've done this already."
She's been with the health care system for 38 years and was around in 1989 when a measles outbreak impacted the entire state.
"I ended up with about about 9 or 10 children with measles," recalled Dr. Morrow. "Every child that I diagnosed was admitted to the hospital."
The current outbreak and the news of a school-age child dying from measles in West Texas has many parents calling Dr. Morrow's clinic to check their kid's vaccination status, she said.
"Get vaccinated. The vaccine is extremely effective. It's one of the most effective vaccines that we have in our armamentarium of protected kids," said Dr. Morrow.
