Dr. Alex Sionovich, a pediatrician, is still haunted by the memory of a teenage boy whom she treated at the start of her career.

He had contracted measles when he was just seven months old, too young to have been vaccinated.

He got the virus from a child in his neighborhood who was unvaccinated. The infection was relatively mild,

and the infant recovered and grew up to be a bright, healthy kid. He was an honor student

and just a charming, delightful kid. But then he started developing troubling symptoms in middle

school. He started getting lost between classes.

Lost like he couldn't find what class to go to next.

Eventually, he was diagnosed with a degenerative neurological condition called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis or SSPE.

It generally developed seven to ten years after a measles infection.

The problem is that there is no treatment for it.

And he basically became more and more incapacitated over time.

And studies suggest that this condition, which is almost always fatal, is more common

than once thought.

Since the measles outbreak in remote parts of West Texas and New Mexico began in January,

more than 300 cases have been reported.

And the communities where measles continues to spread, they're largely unvaccinated.

Consider this. In most of the U.S., vaccination rates are still high enough to stop a major outbreak.

But vaccination rates are falling, and if they continue to fall, we could see long-term consequences of measles in the future.

Which is why experts continue to say that the best way to protect yourselves and your children from measles...

Vaccinate them.

Vaccinate your children.

Get people vaccinated.

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