Are Some Parents to Blame for Measles Outbreak?

(WUSA) -- Measles cases in the U.S. are at their highest level in a decade. The Centers for Disease Control says nearly half of those cases involve children whose parents have made a conscious choice not to get them vaccinated.

But are they doing that for valid reasons? "He was advanced for his age. He was talking when he was 11 months old," recalls Edward Delean. The father of 4 says everything changed after his now 9 year old son who has autism was vaccinated against measles, mumps, and rubella or MMR. It was like that was it. He never talked again, he still doesn't talk. He has about 10 words," he says, adding, "it really devastated our family. I just destroyed us."

Testimonials like that have led some parents to shun vaccinations altogether. The Centers for Disease Control says measles cases have dramatically increased from 42 cases in all of last year to 131 in just the first seven months of this year because of parents who are rejecting the MMR vaccine for their kids.

"It doesn't serve us well when we have government officials trying to create fear and anxiety" says Barbara Loe Fisher with the National Vaccine Information Center. She says some parents opt out of immunizations for religious or philosophical reasons. Others have said no because their kids have had adverse reactions to the vaccines that are usually given on a set schedule. "Right now we're seeing a one-size fits all approach to vaccination that doesn't really recognize that children are different, that children react differently to vaccinations," she says.

That may be the case but the CC insists there's no link between vaccines and autism and not vaccinating puts people at risk. "If you don't immunize like we saw in Britain, there was a resurgence of measles, in many countries like China" says Rosemarie McLaren, the program manager for the DC immunization program.

But even with that warning, Delean says "I advise other people to be be very careful. Look at your child, don't look at the general population."

In Maryland, Virginia and the District, by law, children are not allowed to go to school unless they've been vaccinated or given an exemption. Some parents who have a problem with that opt to home school their children. But the numbers show a majority of parents have faith in vaccinations. The nationwide vaccination rate is 92 percent.