British mom who lost 6-year-old son urges vaccinations as measles outbreak spreads to Tampa Bay Area

TAMPA, Fla. - As a small measles outbreak spreads across Florida, with state health officials confirming a case in Polk County Monday, a grieving mother is bringing her message about vaccinations all the way from England to Tampa Bay.

The measles case in Polk County marked at least the ninth case in Florida this month, following eight cases at an elementary school in Broward County.

"It's a disease that shouldn't still be here," said Gemma Larkman-Jones, a mom who lost her 6-year-old son following a measles infection.

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Larkman-Jones spoke to FOX 13 from her home in London, England and said she wanted to get her son, Samuel, vaccinated for the measles, but was advised by doctors to briefly delay his measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccine. During that delay, Samuel caught measles when he was two years old.

Samuel recovered after a couple weeks and seemed to be fine. But four years later, Larkman-Jones said her son suddenly began having trouble with his balance and memory. A few months after that, he was admitted into the hospital and lost the ability to walk, talk and eat. Doctors determined he had a rare form of measles that slowly attacks the brain.

Pictured: Gemma Larkman-Jones with her son, Samuel.

A few days after he was hospitalized, Samuel passed away.

"I knew that you could go blind, and I knew that you could go deaf, but I didn't know it had other complications," Larkman-Jones said. "I don't want one other family to have to go through this unnecessarily."

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That's why she gets so concerned about measles outbreaks, even ones happening halfway around the world, in Florida.

Following the first confirmed measles cases in Broward County, Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo released a letter acknowledging unvaccinated students are commonly advised to stay home for 21 days during an outbreak because 90 percent of unvaccinated people who are exposed to measles will catch the virus.

Ladapo, however, is leaving it up to parents to decide whether to keep their kids home from school because of "the high immunity rate in the community, as well as the burden on families and educational cost of healthy children missing school."

Some Florida doctors consider Ladapo's advice reckless.

"He is once again doing a real disservice to the population here in Florida and probably that population in the country as a whole for spreading misinformation," said USF Health Dr. Thomas Unnasch. "It's never too late to get them vaccinated and to protect them. And you're rolling the dice if you [leave them] unprotected."

The Florida Department of Health has not responded to an email request for comment about the measles cases.

Pictured: Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo

Gemma, who wishes she had the chance to vaccinate Samuel, has turned her grief into action and has become a vaccine advocate, urging others to protect their children to avoid the same type of situation she's experienced.

"To vaccinate or not to vaccinate, you need to look at every single piece of information. Don't ask people on the internet. Look to your health care provider, your doctor," she told FOX 13, adding she wishes her son was still around to see the impact he's having around the world. "I always knew he would change the world, I just kind of thought he'd be here while doing it."

Health experts said concerns about the MMR vaccine contributing to autism were debunked years ago, with a British doctor charged with professional misconduct after promoting false research on the topic.

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