July 30, 2025
As Measles Outbreak Continues, Doctors Urge Back-to-School Shots
As Texas continues to manage one of the worst measles outbreaks in decades, Texas Medical Association (TMA) physicians encourage parents to update their children’s vaccinations before going back to school. Most of the 762 Texans affected by the measles outbreak – more than 94% – were not vaccinated against the highly infectious disease.
“Giving your child a vaccine is an act of love. It's one of the simplest, safest ways to protect them from serious harm,” said Lindy McGee, MD, chair of the TMA Committee on Child and Adolescent Health and a Houston pediatrician.
The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is required for children to attend public school in Texas. There are exemptions, including for reasons of conscience or if medically contraindicated.
Doctors say a two-dose series of the vaccine is 97% effective in defending against measles. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), the first dose is recommended between 12 and 15 months of age, and the second dose is recommended at 4 to 6 years of age. (On the DSHS web page, scroll down to “What is the ACIP recommended MMR vaccine schedule for children and adults?”)
DSHS also has a list of other required vaccines by school grade level.
If children who can be vaccinated get their shots, it will provide protection to themselves and those who are not eligible to get vaccines or have compromised immunity.
“When we're thinking about vaccinating, we are also thinking about protecting a newborn baby or a child who has acute leukemia and is undergoing treatment and their immune system isn't working well,” said Dr. McGee.
TMA Foundation grants supporting TMA’s Vaccines Defend What Matters initiative help fund vaccination efforts, education, and community outreach in Texas.
Grant recipient Lirios Pediatrics in Austin is a free clinic for uninsured kids that hosts back-to-school immunization clinics.
Pediatrician Claire Hebner, MD, the clinic’s co-founder and medical director, said most families who come to Lirios Pediatrics want to vaccinate their children. “Our [patient] population wants to go to school, and they have oftentimes seen diseases these vaccines prevent, so they want their children to be healthy,” she said.
Dr. McGee remembers how children suffered before the meningococcal vaccine became available. “Seared in my brain is a moment from residency where I watched a teenager suffer with meningococcal disease,” she recalled. The disease causes serious infection of the brain and spinal cord. “Her limbs were dying in front of us – even though she was in the ICU and had all the support available – because the disease is so severe.” The meningococcal vaccine can prevent most bacterial meningococcal disease.
Both Drs. Hebner and McGee say preventing diseases through vaccination is the most effective way for children to stay healthy.
“I've been a pediatrician for 25 years. The biggest thing I can do to protect and promote health in kids is vaccinate. There's nothing that's more effective,” said Dr. Hebner.
“I went into pediatrics because I am passionate about disease prevention … I would prefer to prevent rather than treat these terrible diseases and not see families suffer when their children are sick,” said Dr. McGee. She says vaccines are “the most effective way” to defend against diseases.
TMA’s Vaccines Defend What Matters webpage also has information and resources for parents regarding vaccinations.
See Medical and Legal Disclaimer
TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing more than 59,000 physician and medical student members. Located in Austin, TMA has 110 component county medical societies around the state. TMA’s key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans.
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