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Kansas City pediatric office's post on measles vaccine sparks backlash

Posted at 9:55 PM, Apr 24, 2018
and last updated 2018-04-25 08:04:24-04

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Priority Care Pediatrics in Kansas City requires its patients to follow the CDC immunization schedule.

With the recent measles outbreak in the Kansas City area, the office made a post on Facebook to educate parents and reaction was swift.

Dr. Raymond Cattaneo said that post, "Turned into something much bigger than that when some anti-vaccine people got a hold of that and bombarded our post. Reading comment after comment after comment you just kind of get worn down because you know you're fighting the good fight. You're on the right side of science but you worry that what they're saying, people will actually believe."

Kristen Kleffner is a mom of four who got a letter from her son's school.

"We've done everything we can on our end but that doesn't necessarily mean they're still safe," Kleffner said. "You hear about measles outbreaks but you don't realize it's going to hit so close to home."

Cattaneo told Scripps station KSHB in Kansas City, "Measles is one of the most contagious illnesses out there. It's a scary thing, especially when we know we have an immunization that can prevent this from happening."

He added that it doesn't take many people for an outbreak to turn into an epidemic.

"The science is clear, this is about saving kids lives," Cattaneo said.