Without vaccinations, babies most at risk of getting measles

Babies get their mouths on everything and 2-year-old Jude Wolff is no different. At 12 months, he received his first measles, mumps and rubella shot. With the present outbreak, his mom worries that's not enough.

"With not having the full dose yet is a little disconcerting for us," mother Kelli Wolff said.

The first MMR vaccine is given at 1 year old. Studies show this gives babies anywhere from 92 to 97 percent immunity. In 1989, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended kids get a second MMR shot to further boost immunity.

The vaccine contains a live, weakened virus. This may be one reason doctors don't give kids the second shot until they're between 4 and 6 years old.

"These vaccination schedules are created in a way that will allow the child to develop optimal immunity as soon as possible," Dr. John Martin with Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles.

Martin said giving a vaccine too soon could expose a child to complications.

"Multiple studies have gone into finding the exact schedule that should be in place to allow children to receive vaccinations as soon as possible, while doing it in a safe way," Martin said.

An infant may receive about 15 shots by the time he or she is six months old. Martin says many immunizations such as the MMR and Dtap contain combination antigens. They're delivered in way to provide as much immunity as possible as quickly as possible.

That's why 2-year-old Jude Wolff has to wait a few years before his second measles shot. Until then, doctors say the best way to protect young children is to immunize everyone around him.

Kelli Wolff respects a parent's right to choose, but still worries about her son.

"It is their right, but it's also my right to feel like I can go places and not have to worry about my kids being sick," Wolff said.