MADISON, WI— As the measles case count hits a 35-year high in Wisconsin, state health officials are encouraging parents of infants at risk of exposure to consider getting them vaccinated early.
Infants are especially vulnerable to the disease. Last week, health officials reported the death of an infant in Grant County related to the ongoing measles outbreak in southwestern Wisconsin. It’s the first measles-associated death in the state since 1990.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services issued guidance November-3rd recommending that infants aged 6 to 11 months receive the measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccine “if they are members of a family or community that is likely to be exposed to measles.”
The first dose of the MMR vaccine is typically recommended for children between 12 and 15 months, though it can be safely administered to children as young as 6 months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.