The two recent measles cases in Massachusetts are a warning — but there is still time to protect ourselves from a measles outbreak. While anti-vaxx forces in Washington are spreading misinformation, we have an opportunity here in the commonwealth to protect our communities. Now is the time to close the religious exemption loophole in our school vaccination requirements so measles and other diseases can’t spread here.

Measles isn’t a harmless childhood illness — it’s a highly contagious and sometimes serious disease that was nearly wiped out in America. But we’ve had two confirmed cases here in Massachusetts, and vaccination rates are dangerously declining, so it can spread here now. There are several “hot zones” of under-vaccination in Massachusetts where exemption rates are higher than what’s needed for herd immunity. In western Massachusetts and the Berkshires, vaccine coverage has fallen to 91.8%, well below the 95% level needed for community immunity. This leaves our most vulnerable people — babies, the elderly, and immunocompromised people — at risk of preventable and sometimes deadly infections.

We are seeing the consequences nationally; there were over 1,000 measles cases across the country last year. It’s only a matter of time before a serious outbreak occurs here. Our medical community fully agrees, and a physician from the American Academy of Pediatrics MA Chapter said: “We will never have statewide ‘community immunity’ to diseases like measles as long as we have a religious loophole.”

This isn’t about politics — it’s about doing what’s morally and medically right. We can protect ourselves here at home by having the Massachusetts Legislature pass two bills which are pending, H.2554 and S.1557, to remove the religious objection and require documented medical reasons to skip vaccinations. These bills are strongly endorsed by the Mass. Medical Society and the American Academy of Pediatrics MA Chapter. Passing them would help ensure the health and safety of every person in our commonwealth. (https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H2554 https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S1557)

We still have the power to prevent a public health crisis. Please join me in contacting our state legislators to urge them to pass these bills now. Let’s act to protect our children and everyone, and keep our communities safe from this very contagious disease and other serious illnesses too.

Lawrence Pareles, MD

Florence