Department of Pediatrics

As Cases of a Rare, Deadly Infection Rise, Doctors Worry Fewer Teens Will Get Vaccinated

Written by NBC News | January 11, 2026

“It’s really a devastating disease that keeps pediatricians up at night,” said Dr. Kevin Messacar, a professor of pediatric infectious disease at University of Colorado Anschutz in Aurora, Colorado. “It’s difficult to recognize, and we often see patients who are too late to bring back.”