A vaccine to protect people against measles became a part of children's regular shots in 1963. Since then, the number of measles infections in this country has declined from between 3 and 4 million cases each year to fewer than 100. However, some people are wary of measles vaccines, especially since British physicians published findings that the vaccine could be linked to higher rates of autism or gastrointestinal disorders. Doctors from Tufts University, Emory University, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made their case as to why the vaccine is still necessary.

What the researchers wanted to know: Why is measles vaccination important?

What they did: The doctors used results from other studies and statistics about measles to show why children need to have it. They looked at the number of people who are immune to measles in the entire country and world, and whether the disease could be completely eliminated, the way smallpox was in 1980.

What they found: Currently in the United States, more than 90 percent of children are vaccinated for measles before their third birthday, and most children receive a second shot before they are 6 years old. Nearly everyone who receives two shots develops immunity to the disease so cases of measles in the United States are now nearly always in people from other countries. Children ages 3 to 10 who do not get vaccinated are 62 times more likely to develop measles than those who are vaccinated, which is why many school districts require proof of immunization. However, worldwide, measles kills more people than any infectious disease except malaria. The doctors argue that success in the developed countries and western hemisphere in eradicating measles gives hope for the elimination of the disease around the world.

What it means to you: Measles is very rare in the United States today because of the high rate of vaccination. They say that it is important for children to get two shots of the vaccine when they are young to prevent the disease from reappearing. Research by a British team suggesting that the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine causes autism and gastrointestinal diseases was not conducted scientifically, according to the authors, who point out that the team rescinded their finding that the MMR vaccine causes autism.

Caveats: This paper was not an unbiased study but instead an opinion paper that took the position that the measles vaccine was vitally important to public health. So, the conclusions are based on a variety of scientific information that led the doctors to their opinion, but they had a very definite viewpoint when writing the paper.

Find out more: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recommends vaccination, tells you what measles is and why you should be vaccinated.

Measles vaccine is usually given in combination with a mumps and rubella vaccine when children are about 1 year old. Find out about that shot at Medline Plus.

Read the article: Meissner, H.C. et al. "Measles Vaccines and the Potential for Worldwide Eradication of Measles." Pediatrics. October 2004, Vol. 114, No. 4, pp.1065–1069.

Abstract online: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org