Early in my career as a pediatrician, it would not be unusual to get a phone call in the middle of the night from the worried parent of a child with a high fever. I got out of bed, met the family in the emergency room and sat with them while their child was evaluated. It could be a terrifying night, with painful tests to rule out serious illnesses like meningitis.

Vaccines were a game changer. Once my patients could be immunized against the most common causes of meningitis and serious bacterial infections -- haemophilus influenzae B (HIB) and pneumococcus and other vaccine preventable diseases like measles -- it was easier to rule out these potentially devastating illnesses, offer reassurance and advice over the phone, and schedule an office visit for the next morning.

But we’re back in that scary place now. Immunization rates have dipped low enough in some communities that measles has taken root and spread. For the first time in a decade, someone in the U.S. has died from measles – an unvaccinated child in Texas caught up in an outbreak that has sickened more than 120 other people. This is a tragedy for this child, their family and their community.

Pediatricians are alarmed, and rightly so.

As president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, I’m getting emails, phone calls and texts from worried colleagues across the country. They have stories to tell of children who were permanently disabled or killed by diseases that we can now prevent with vaccines. They are afraid we will be back in that uncertain and terrifying place, watching a child suffer and being helpless to offer real relief for their pain. While the vast majority of parents vaccinate their children, misinformation has caused more parents to question the routine vaccinations that we’ve come to rely on to keep children healthy.

In nearly every state, fewer than 95% of kindergartners are vaccinated against measles. That 95% threshold is important, because at that level, it’s unlikely that a single infection will spark an outbreak in a community.

Instead we have communities where fewer than 95% of children are immunized, which explains worrisome increases in vaccine-preventable illnesses like measles and whooping cough. We will have more measles outbreaks this year, and some of those children will likely suffer severe complications or death. This is unacceptable.

What we need now is a robust response from our partners in the federal government to support local communities in improving access to vaccines, equipping doctors to provide life-saving care and making sure parents have accurate information to make decisions for their children’s health – including immunizations.

We must immediately resume the work of important federal committees that evaluate the scientific research for vaccine development and dosing, including the committee that was scheduled to meet in March to select the strains for next season’s flu vaccine. A separate committee at the CDC was scheduled to meet in February to make important decisions on vaccines for meningococcal, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human papillomavirus (HPV) and mpox. This is the same committee that develops the list of vaccines covered under the Vaccines for Children program, which provides vaccines at no cost to millions of U.S. children.

I urge health authorities to immediately reschedule these meetings to ensure vaccine decisions are made without delay. We know that vaccination remains our most effective tool to prevent diseases including measles and influenza and their severe consequences.

Overwhelmingly, parents agree, and want to vaccinate their children. But we’re hearing from many parents now who worry that a vaccine may not be available when their child needs it. When pediatricians are in the exam room with parents, we want to equip them with everything in our power to help their children stay healthy so they can thrive. Immunizations are one of those success stories.

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Dr. Susan Kressly is president of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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