The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning parents about a rise in measles after a drop in vaccinations.

Doctors are advising people that it's safe to come back to pediatricians and now is the time for children to get vaccinated especially against measles, a highly contagious virus that the CDC is saying is once again a global threat.

They say 22 million babies around the world did not get a measles vaccine during the pandemic.

Bellmore resident Jenny brought her two 15 1/2 month olds to the doctor to keep them healthy.

"My mom always made sure that I had all my shots, and I am healthy, so I want the same thing for my kids," Jenny says.

Pediatrician Dr. John Zaso says measles is the most contagious, infectious disease we have to deal with especially in pediatrics.

The CDC says reported cases of measles fell in 2020 after a worldwide resurgence from 2017 to 2019.

However, the organization suggests that measles was underreported.

"We're always worried about measles," Zaso says.

Health experts say while they have not seen an increase in measles cases, the disease is too contagious and if parents don't keep up with routine immunizations, many children will be exposed to a preventable, but potentially fatal disease.

"These diseases don't go away, they're in the environment," Zaso says. "But if you're vaccinated, like anything we talk about, even COVID, you don't see it because you're protected."

Zaso says he hasn't seen cases of the measles since the early 1990s and that the vaccine for measles is 98% so the disease can be kept in check as long as parents keep up with their childrens' shot.