Measles infections pose far more risks than most realize

Erica Finkelstein-Parker planned her daughter’s 8th birthday party with love.

Because Emmalee adored airplanes, Finkelstein-Parker chose the theme “Flying High with Emmalee.” Finkelstein-Parker filled nearly two dozen brightly colored goody bags for Emmalee’s friends — one for every child in her class, so no one would feel left out.

Months later, the treat bags remained unopened in Finkelstein-Parker’s bedroom, reminders of a birthday party that was never held.

Emmalee, who developed a rare complication of measles that can strike years after infection, spent her 8th birthday in hospice care at her family’s home. Her parents adopted Emmalee from an orphanage in India when she was 2 ½ years old. The orphanage staff didn’t tell them she had been infected with measles.

“There are some things that a parent should never have to do,” said Finkelstein-Parker, of Littlestown, Pennsylvania. “I had to call the birthday venue and explain that we were canceling the party because our daughter was dying.”

Emmalee died on Jan. 2, 2011.

“People think these diseases are ancient history, but they’re still around,” said Finkelstein-Parker. “Measles is a stealth virus. It may look like it has cleared your body, but it can hide in your nervous system.”

The massive resurgence of measles around the world — attributed to pandemic-related declines in immunizations and rising rates of vaccine hesitancy among parents — raises the risk of more serious complications and deaths, said Dr. James Cherry, a professor of pediatrics and an infectious disease expert at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

In the past two months, doctors in the U.S. have diagnosed dozens of measles cases related to unvaccinated travelers who arrived at international