HMSOM Dean Notes Disturbing Childhood Disease Trends in Podcast

The Health Ethics Podcast, hosted by HMSOM Professor Dr. Bryan Pilkington, features Dr. Jeffrey Boscamp to discuss timely issues in pediatric infectious diseases such as measles.

Measles is a common childhood disease that was once all but eliminated in the U.S.

However, it’s reappearing and rising again–due to falling vaccination rates, a worsening trend in the 2020s.

These disturbing trends were discussed in the Health Ethics Podcast, a biweekly audio periodical hosted by Dr. Bryan Pilkington, Ph.D., ethics professor at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine (HMSOM).

Dr. Jeffrey Boscamp, M.D., HMSOM President and Dean–and longtime pediatrician and infectious disease expert–was Dr. Pilkington’s most recent featured guest. Boscamp explained that measles is highly contagious, spreading easily through the air and lingering on surfaces, requiring about 95% community vaccination–propagating “herd immunity”--to prevent outbreaks.

Getting measles can lead to serious complications beyond the typical fever and rash, including severe pneumonia, brain infections (encephalitis), permanent disability, and even death, with children being particularly vulnerable.

The breakdown of herd immunity leading to measles’ resurgence serves as a "canary in the coal mine," indicating that other preventable diseases, like whooping cough–which has already seen a 1500% increase in recent cases–and polio, could also surge if childhood vaccination levels remain low.

The discussion highlights that in choosing not to vaccinate their children, parents can affect not only the unvaccinated individual but the entire community, especially those who cannot be vaccinated or for whom vaccines are less effective.

Rebuilding trust in science and vaccines is crucial in the healthcare, requiring clear communication from trusted sources like pediatricians to counter widespread misinformation and emphasize the proven safety and life-saving benefits of immunizations for protecting both individuals and the public.

Drs. Boscamp and Pilkington provided a key takeaway that vaccines–childhood vaccines in this case–are a safe and vital tool for preventing dangerous infectious diseases, but falling vaccination rates are putting individuals and communities at serious risk, underscoring the need to rely on credible science for public health.

To listen to the podcast in its entirety–or here other podcast episodes within Dr. Pllkingon’s HMSOM library–please click here, or listen via Apple Podcasts or Spotify.