A 5-month old baby girl is the first confirmed case of measles in Alabama, sparking a debate on vaccinations.

Audrey Peine, of Pell City, took her daughter, Emma, to the doctor with symptoms of a high fever, runny nose, and a rash. At five months old, baby Emma is not old enough to receive a measles vaccination, which is usually given to children when they are 12 months and 4 years old. 

“Because it’s so rare, they didn’t really think she had the measles, but because she had the rash, they wanted to test her for it,” Peine, 20, said.

The test came back positive for measles on Thursday last week, and The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) held a press conference and issued a press release concerning the diagnosis. 

According to the most recent release, ADPH continues working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to investigate potential cases of measles in the state. There are more than 30 open investigations and currently only one presumptive positive measles case in Alabama.

ADPH confirmed that Emma has not been in daycare and has not traveled out of state. The investigation is ongoing and additional testing is being done to determine the origin of the infection.

After the diagnosis, Peine wrote a Facebook post urging parents to get their children vaccinated, which created a debate from those who believe vaccinations have more adverse side effects for children.  Peine made the post private after negative comments, but continues to speak about the issue to media outlets.

“We were really frustrated because our pediatrician told us that she probably caught it because there are so many people who decide not to vaccinate their kids,” Peine said.

There are currently between 12 and 14 measles outbreaks around the country, with higher concentrations in areas such as Washington and New York. Alabama State Health Officer Scott Harris stated that most of the outbreaks involved international travelers who were older than one year of age but were not vaccinated and brought the disease to communities with large amounts of unvaccinated people. 

“There is no credible science that supports not vaccinating with the measles vaccine,” said Harris. “It’s a very safe and effective vaccine.”

The ADPH urges that all persons know their measles vaccine status. Most adults born prior to 1957 are considered immune and those born after 1957 need two doses of the vaccine to have immunity. Children usually receive the mumps, measles, and rubella vaccine when they are 12-15 months old and a second dose when they are 4-6 years old.

Peine stated that Emma will receive a measles vaccination when she is 12 months. For now, Emma is home and recovering well.

For more information about measles disease and vaccine, visit  www.alabamapublichealth.org.