As a doctor, I’ve seen the devastating effects of measles up close. Let me be clear: choosing not to vaccinate your child isn’t just a personal decision — it’s putting their life at risk. In my view, it’s a form of child abuse.
It might sound harsh, but the facts speak for themselves. Just recently in Liverpool, a child tragically died from measles. In the same city, doctors at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital have treated 17 children with this dangerous virus since June alone. Across the Atlantic, the U.S. is seeing its highest number of measles cases since 2000, with two unvaccinated children and one adult dying — the first such deaths there in a decade.
These tragedies are preventable. The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine has been safely protecting children in the UK since 1988. Millions have been vaccinated without harm. Yet today, only 84% of children in the UK receive the two doses needed for full protection. To stop outbreaks and eliminate measles, vaccination rates need to reach at least 95%, according to the World Health Organization.
In some areas, the numbers are even worse. In parts of Liverpool, one in four children turning five during the 2023–24 year were not fully vaccinated. That’s an alarming gap, and one that leaves many children dangerously vulnerable.
Failing to vaccinate your child is like driving without strapping them into a seatbelt. You might get away with it for a while, but the consequences can be catastrophic.
I’ve seen these consequences firsthand. As a medical student, I treated children with severe complications from measles — painful, persistent ear infections that caused permanent hearing loss, or worse. A close friend of mine has been deaf her entire life because of a measles infection in childhood.
Years ago, two teenage sisters I knew fell gravely ill with encephalitis (a serious brain inflammation) after contracting measles at Glastonbury Festival. Their mother had refused the MMR vaccine because she believed misleading claims linking it to autism, a falsehood completely debunked. The girls survived but required intensive care.
Measles isn’t just a rash and a fever. It’s one of the most infectious diseases known to humankind. Children are typically bedridden for about 12 days, and full recovery can take a month or more, often keeping them out of school for an entire term.
Even after apparent recovery, children face a lifelong risk of developing a rare, fatal brain disease called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE). Years later, the dormant measles virus can reawaken and progressively destroy brain cells, leading to mental decline and death.
Despite the very real dangers, many parents today underestimate measles. Thanks to vaccines, it became rare enough that newer generations of doctors have barely seen it. Just last year, I had to help junior colleagues recognise a measles case — they were simply unfamiliar with it.
In the U.S., nearly half of all states require the MMR vaccine for college entry. However, vaccine misinformation continues to spread, threatening public health efforts worldwide.
I understand how persuasive online conspiracy theories and misinformation can be. But if you want a truly terrifying story, look no further than the actual science of measles and what it can do to your child.
The choice should be clear: protect your child with a safe, proven vaccine. Don’t let misinformation rob them of their health — or their life.
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