MILWAUKEE -- In light of a measles outbreak across the country Aurora Children's Health announced they will send letters to parents whose kids are not immunized for the measles.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of April 4, 2019, there have been 465 measles cases confirmed in 19 states.
"Closest to us is just south of the border in Illinois. So we're trying to race to the finish line and send out those letters so we can get any and all of the unvaccinated patients of ours in for that vaccine," said Dr. Kevin Dahlman, a pediatrician with Aurora and medical director of Aurora Children's Health.
Dahlman said they identified patients that are lacking one or both of the MMR vaccine and sent them letters asking them to contact their doctors to get the vaccine.
In the letter, Dahlman wrote there is no treatment for the highly contagious disease, and once your child shows early symptoms it is too late to intervene.
Symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and white spots in the mouth. Complications from measles could be deadly.
"It's an amazing time that we live in to prevent all these bad and dangerous diseases and to have people forego that and see it come back it's devastating to see," said Dahlman.
