As School Starts, Valley Children’s Healthcare Doctors in Madera County Urge Parents to Prioritize Vaccinations, Say Measles Pose Increased Threat in 2025

August 19, 2025 – MADERA, Calif. – As children across the Central Valley return to their classrooms, health experts are emphasizing the critical role vaccines play in keeping students safe from infectious diseases.

Dr. Anne VanGarsse, medical director of primary care at Valley Children’s Healthcare, says the start of the school year brings increased opportunities for exposure to illness.

“Every year when kids go back to school, there is an increase in upper respiratory and other infectious disease,” VanGarsse said. “If a child should happen to be exposed to a classmate who has a vaccine-preventable disease, the child being fully up to date on all of the recommended vaccines maximizes their immunity to these diseases.”

Measles Pose Increased Threat in 2025

One of the most pressing concerns this year is measles, a highly contagious virus that can spread rapidly in communities with low vaccination rates. Earlier this year, measles cases in the United States hit their highest level since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000, according to data from John Hopkins University.

VanGarsse says that measles poses a unique threat due to its ability to cause “immune amnesia,” which can erase up to 73% of a person’s existing immunity to other infections. Additionally, it can lead to severe consequences of its own.

“Measles can lead to serious complications, including brain swelling and even death in rare cases,” VanGarsse said. “There is also a late-onset complication causing a degenerative and fatal brain disease years after a measles infection.”

“It’s scary, but easily preventable,” she said. “Two MMR vaccines provide 97% protection against measles.”

The MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella, is part of the standard immunization schedule for children at 12 months and again at 4 to 5 years old. Infants as young as 6 months can also receive the vaccine in certain circumstances.

VanGarsse also stressed the importance of herd immunity, which protects vulnerable populations by reducing the spread of disease.

“Herd immunity occurs when a large enough portion of a population becomes immune to an infectious disease, making it more difficult for the disease to spread,” VanGarsse said. “It protects even those who are not immune, like infants and immunocompromised individuals.”

Finding Your Child’s Vaccine Schedule

With so much information available, how do parents find out what vaccines their child needs for their age? VanGarsse recommends schedules from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which can be viewed at the links below.

If you think your child is behind on vaccines, or if you just have questions, VanGarsse encourages parents to consult their child’s pediatrician or primary care provider for guidance.

“Vaccines are truly the public health miracle of the modern era,” she said. “Infections that were ubiquitous and feared when my grandparents were young have now become rare or never seen.”

According to a 2024 study from The Lancet, a peer reviewed medical journal based in England, researchers found that vaccination has averted 154 million deaths worldwide since 1974 – including 146 million children under the age of 5.

“Though we as parents certainly do worry when our children have a fever, due to the miracle of modern medicine we’re able to put them to bed at night when they are sick, confident that they will wake up.”

For more information about vaccine schedules, parents can view more resources from the AAP by clicking here.
Source: Valley Children’s Healthcare, Madera, CA.