American Heart Association News: Her Upbringing and Training Shaped This Doctor’s View of Infections and Vaccines
American Heart Association News recently interviewed Priya Soni, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s, for its “The Experts Say” series. Soni shared how early-career inspiration has informed her work with patients and within the community.
She told American Heart Association News that her mother—a microbiologist—influenced her decision to become a doctor.
“From a pretty young age, my mother made science come alive for me,” Soni said. “She showed me how microbes shaped the world around me.”
She told American Heart Association News that helping a child with HIV in Guyana, South America, as a college student underscored that “in preventing an illness in a child, you have the ability to change the trajectory of their entire life, which is amazing.”
Soni told American Heart Association News that she provides community education about the importance of childhood vaccines to protect against highly infectious but preventable diseases, such as measles.
“While it’s hard to say that one vaccine is the most important for your child, knowing the complications of measles in children, I can certainly say it’s one of the most important vaccines,” she said. “Even a small dip in vaccine rates can quickly lead to outbreaks.”
Soni told American Heart Association News that measles can cause serious complications and even death.
“This is an infection you never want to get,” she said. “The complications are so variable and can be quite devastating even decades after infection.”
Soni told American Heart Association News the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and 97% effective against measles.
“Vaccines train our immune system to recognize and fight the virus before it has a chance to cause severe disease,” she said. “It’s such a great tool we have in modern medicine. It’s the best way to protect yourself and your family and the community.”
For parents with questions about vaccine safety, Soni encourages having “open conversations with your pediatricians.”
Click here to read the complete article from American Heart Association News.