Too young for measles vaccine, babies are ‘sitting ducks’ in outbreaks

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LANDRUM, South Carolina — For parents like John Otwell, the hardest part of South Carolina’s measles outbreak is not knowing whether they will face exposure, but whether their youngest children can be protected in time. Otwell said he and his family grew nervous when the highly contagious virus started factoring into routine activities such as grocery shopping, including at a Costco he described as drawing attention because of state health department warnings.

Otwell’s older child, Arthur, was too young for the measles vaccine, while a sibling was expected in June, leaving the family with what the outbreak has made common in parts of the state: reliance on community protection rather than direct vaccination. Under South Carolina guidance described by the Associated Press, the first MMR dose—normally given at ages 12 to 15 months—could be given earlier for infants in the outbreak area, and Arthur was able to get his first shot based on his age at a routine checkup.

That approach underscores the policy gap that measles creates for very young babies. The AP reports that babies too young to be vaccinated are among the most vulnerable in a measles outbreak, with the virus able to cause severe complications such as pneumonia or brain swelling, and in some cases death. Doctors also say the disease can be especially dangerous for infants whose fragile health can deteriorate quickly.

Dr. Deborah Greenhouse, a Columbia pediatrician, said the burden falls across families and communities to protect the people who cannot yet be vaccinated. She said babies “become sitting ducks,” and emphasized that “The burden is on all of us to protect all of us.”

As coverage of the outbreak spread, pediatric practices and child-care providers reported not only medical concerns, but also confusion and fear. The AP said Dr. Jessica Early, a pediatrician in Greer, began offering an approved infant MMR dose as early as 6 months old and also advanced the second dose, which usually targets ages 4 to 6, to younger ages. Early said her concern extended to patients and her own baby when measles appeared in her community, and other doctors in the region took similar steps.

The reporting also highlighted gaps in how the outbreak data is publicly described. State officials, the AP said, would disclose only that 253 of the 997 cases were among children 4 and younger and would not break cases down further for confidentiality reasons. The AP also said officials do not know how many infants were hospitalized with the virus, noting that hospitals are not required to report measles-related admissions.

At the same time, child-care leaders described the day-to-day impact on families. Thomas Compton, regional director of Miss Tammy’s Little Learning Center, told the AP that 18 parents pulled children out of his facilities even without confirmed cases, and some left deposits before scheduled start dates, forcing layoffs. Compton said his staff scrubbed down surfaces as they did during the COVID-19 period, tracked local measles cases on Facebook, and relied on Google for information about the disease. He said many parents were stressed and asked repeatedly whether common illnesses might be measles.

The AP also reported that some families can seek vaccine exemptions, including religious exemptions, and that statewide policies affect which children are protected. Compton said about a fifth of the center’s children had vaccine waivers. The Associated Press reported that the outbreak’s epicenter has seen a rise in religious exemptions, and it pointed to legislative efforts that would further loosen vaccination requirements for young children.

In South Carolina, a state bill would prohibit requiring vaccines for children under 2, the AP reported. Greenhouse said getting rid of those requirements in day cares would be “a gut punch that is terrifying,” and she warned that the policy debate can fuel skepticism and confusion about who should be vaccinated. The AP said Republican State Sen. Carlisle Kennedy, in a subcommittee discussion, argued his bill aims to protect parents’ rights and described a personalized vaccination schedule for his own baby in consultation with doctors; opponents countered that herd immunity protects children in those situations. The Senate subcommittee advanced the legislation, Greenhouse said, and warned that lawmakers could face momentum in the current climate.

Beyond South Carolina, the AP reported that measles continued to spread in other states. It said that in the first three months of 2026 the U.S. logged 1,671 measles cases, which it described as 73% of the total from 2025, the worst year for the virus in more than three decades. The AP also reported that international health officials would determine in November whether measles is still considered eliminated in the U.S., and it cited national MMR vaccination rates that have fallen among kindergartners in recent years, while some local communities have much lower coverage.

Doctors interviewed by the AP said they expect conditions to worsen if vaccination rates continue to slip and exemptions remain easier to obtain. Greenhouse said immunization is “one of the best things that has ever happened to medicine,” and said it is “confounding” to see progress reversed. Helen Kaiser, who lives in the outbreak area, told the AP she vaccinated her twin 2-year-old boys early to protect them and the community, saying she would not forgive herself if she learned her son had made another baby very sick in a situation she could have prevented.