More than 500 people spanning 20 states have been diagnosed with measles this year already. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, 15 of those cases were in Texas.

For the rare remaining physicians who have treated measles, the news is like déjà vu.

“We learned a lot from the 1989 measles epidemic,” said Deborah Susan Hucaby, M.D., an emergency room physician at Cook Children’s Medical Center. “We got to a point where anyone who came into the pediatric emergency room or clinics with a fever was presumed to have measles until proven otherwise.”

Dr. Hucaby was a resident at Ben Taub Hospital in Houston in 1989 when the worst measles outbreak in recent history occurred. That year, 17,850 measles cases were reported in 47 states with 3,201 of those in Texas.

“At the time, the MMR vaccine was recommended for children at 15 months,” Dr. Hucaby explained. “Due to the high number of unprotected children we were seeing with measles, that recommendation was lowered to 12 months of age. We also started giving the single measles vaccine at 6 months of age.”

For this reason, Dr. Hucaby says a doorbell was installed outside of the pediatric clinic where she worked during the outbreak.

“Parents were asked to ring the bell if their child had a fever, with or without other symptoms,” she said. “A nurse would go out into the hallway to look at the patient. If they appeared to have a risk factor for measles, we would take them straight into an exam room. We didn’t sit them in the waiting room.”

In Houston alone that year, 1,434 children under the age of 5 were diagnosed with measles. Dr. Hucaby says it’s frustrating to interact with parents today who refuse to vaccinate their children against diseases such as measles, mumps and rubella.

“So many of these parents have never seen these diseases. I’m 40 years older than most of them and I have. I have seen kids die from them,” she exclaimed.

Dr. Hucaby says there’s one child she will never forget. The little girl was only 6 months old when she arrived at the hospital with measles and pneumonia. She was too young to have been immunized and died as a result.

“Parents who decide they are OK with their children becoming infected with diseases probably frustrate me the most,” added Dr. Hucaby. “We didn’t see that during the Houston epidemic. Truly, people were willing to vaccinate their children. I don’t remember a single parent saying ‘no’ to a vaccine.”

She said in the 1980s, children often weren’t up to date on their immunizations mostly because parents didn’t see the importance or they had difficulties with transportation or finances. Today, vaccines are more accessible than ever in the U.S. with programs providing low-cost vaccines in every state.

“Every place I worked before Cook Children’s had an infectious disease ward where patients could be isolated,” said Dr. Nelson. “But as infectious diseases became better controlled, particularly the ones that are so contagious like chicken pox and measles, we didn’t need to have a special ward anymore.”

The reason for the decline in such quarantined areas is simply vaccines.

“I have lived through the era where I’ve seen vaccines come and save children’s lives. I have stood in line to get the polio vaccine,” Dr. Nelson explained. “I grew up with a great deal of anxiety about all of these diseases. That’s the piece that is missing in our society now, no one is anxious about these diseases.”

Dr. Nelson had good reason to be anxious. Not only did he know people who fell ill with polio, he himself lived through infections of measles, mumps and chicken pox.

“I had measles when I was a little boy, before I even started school. I remember having to stay in a dark room for four days because they thought light might increase your chances of losing your vision, which was not true, but that was the belief back then,” he said. “I didn’t want to eat. I didn’t want to do anything. I just wanted to die. It was that horrible.”

“As a physician, I’ve seen a ton of children die when there was nothing I could do about it. There was nothing anyone could do about it. So it does make me incensed that a parent would put a child at risk for a disease that could kill them based on emotion,” he said. “A parent that has never lost a child doesn’t understand the emotion that they are going to feel if they do.”

Read More About Measles and Vaccines

Resources Available at Cook Children's

There's so much misinformation on the Internet and television about the dangers and risks of immunizations, that it can be hard for a parent to separate the facts from the fears. Visit our website to learn more about our recommmendations regarding vaccines and how to make the best decision for your family. 

Halley Hogan, M.D., a pediatrician at Cook Children’s newest location in Prosper, Texas, took some time to answer our questions about what’s going around.

What kind of bugs are you seeing in your office right now?

We’re seeing cases of Influenza B, norovirus and group A strep.

Is the flu season still in full swing or are we nearing the end? 

We are begining to see flu activity throughout the state of Texas. Flu activity will likely remain high for several more weeks.

What should parents know about the difference between the flu, norovirus and rotavirus? 

Norovirus is the virus that causes the “stomach bug.” It causes vomiting and diarrhea and can affect anyone.

Rotavirus most often affects infants and young children. It can cause fever, watery diarrhea and vomiting. What we worry about most with rotavirus is infants/young children becoming dehydrated. It is recommended that children get the rotavirus vaccine at 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months of age. Vaccinated kids are less likely to get sick from rotavirus and can have less severe symptoms if they do get rotavirus.

Flu is caused by the influenza virus. Flu affects the respiratory system, and can cause fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny/stuffy nose, body aches, headache, and fatigue.

With many schools back in session after spring break last week, what does that mean for these illnesses? Are kinds more at risk being in school?

Flu is spread when people with the virus talk, sneeze, or cough, sending flu droplets to the people close to them. It can also be spread by touching a surface that has flu virus on it and then touching your nose, mouth, or eyes. If you have the flu, you are contagious one day before symptoms start and up to 7 days after becoming sick.

Norovirus can also spread easily. Kids can get norovirus by sharing food or drinks with someone who is sick, or by touching surfaces contaminated with norovirus and then touching their mouths. You are most contagious with norovirus while you have vomiting/diarrhea, but you can still spread it for two weeks after you are better.

Many times, children with flu or norovirus return to school while they are still contagious and this increases the spread of these illnesses and can cause outbreaks in schools.

Are there any questions or concerns you’re hearing from parents?

Yes, parents often ask “How can we decrease the chances of siblings/other family members/friends getting the flu?”

The best way to decrease your risk of flu is getting the flu vaccine every year. It is recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older. Wash your hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub. Try not to touch your eyes, nose, and mouth. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and wash your hands after.

Meet Halley Hogan, M.D., Prosper Trail's Pediatrician

 

Dr. Hogan was raised in the Dallas area. After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry from SMU, she attended the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston for her medical degree. She then completed her pediatric residency at University of Texas Southwestern in Austin. Dr. Hogan is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Dr. Hogan provides comprehensive health care to children of all ages. She has a passion for pediatrics and loves getting to know families, with the philosophy that providing the best primary care depends on developing personal relationships with her patients and their families. She has a special interest in preventative medicine and promoting healthy, happy childhoods for all children. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and their two young sons, as well as reading and traveling. Make an appointment with Dr. Hogan here.