The state is no longer recommending that infants as young as 6 months get an early dose of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
In early April, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issued a temporary recommendation that families in southeast Michigan have their infants vaccinated between the ages of 6-11 months.
The guidance came amid a measles outbreak in Washtenaw County as state health officials hoped to curb the spread, especially among babies, who are vulnerable to the disease.
The state said Tuesday that it can lift the early-age recommendation because there has been no further community transmission.
“The increase in early MMR vaccines helped protect Michigan babies during this measles outbreak,” said Natasha Bagdasarian, the state’s chief medical executive, in a statement. “Measles is incredibly transmissible and because people can transmit the virus before they experience symptoms, we made this recommendation to keep the most vulnerable members of our communities safe, after a recent outbreak of measles in southeast MI.”
MDHHS announced the recommendation on April 2. At the time, there was an outbreak of seven related cases of measles in Washtenaw County, plus an additional case in Monroe County. The state urged parents and guardians in Washtenaw, Monroe, Wayne, Oakland, Jackson, Livingston and Lenawee counties to get their infants an “accelerated first dose” of the measles vaccine.
Between April 8 and May 16, MMR doses were administered to 2,371 infants age 6-11 months in the affected counties, MDHHS said.
Typically, the state recommends children get their first dose of the MMR vaccine between 12-15 months of age, with a second dose given a minimum of 28 days after the first dose.
“We continue to urge Michigan residents to protect their families and their communities by staying up to date on all vaccines,” Bagdasarian said.
mreinhart@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan drops measles vaccine recommendation for infants 6-11 months
Reporting by Max Reinhart, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
