"Most pediatricians in the U.S. have never seen a child with SSPE because we've been vaccinating kids against measles for decades,"
"This case is a painful reminder of how dangerous measles can be, especially for our most vulnerable community members,"
"Infants too young to be vaccinated rely on all of us to help protect them through community immunity."
A school-aged child in Los Angeles County died from subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) after contracting measles in infancy before becoming eligible for MMR vaccination. SSPE is a fatal progressive brain disorder that strikes roughly one in 10,000 people infected with measles in the U.S., with doctors estimating risk as high as one in 600 for children infected as infants. SSPE typically develops two to ten years after initial infection and begins with seizures, cognitive decline and involuntary muscle spasms, progressing to dementia, coma and death. Health officials noted that infants too young to be vaccinated depend on community immunity. Children typically receive their first MMR dose at 12 to 15 months and a second dose between ages four and six.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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