Buzz
As savvy Mytour readers, you’re well aware of the dangers of measles and the benefits of vaccination. Yet, a surge of false information persists, particularly as outbreaks intensify in Washington, Texas, and New York.
Many of these falsehoods originated from anti-vaccine advocates, who hold misguided beliefs about vaccines. However, even everyday individuals, especially parents preparing for their children’s first shots, fall prey to these myths. Anti-vaccine propaganda exploits common parental anxieties, spinning increasingly bizarre tales. Let’s debunk some of these claims:
Myth: Measles is just a mild illness for children
While measles was widespread before vaccines—affecting 90% of children by age 15—it was far from harmless. It posed serious risks and could even be fatal.
This paper from the Journal of Infectious Diseases highlights key statistics: during the late 1950s, measles caused one death per 1,000 reported cases. Earlier in the century, when healthcare and nutrition were poorer, the mortality rate was significantly higher, at approximately 26 deaths per 1,000 cases.
Measles can indeed be fatal for children. It also leads to severe complications. According to the paper’s authors, in the 1950s, when annual deaths were around 450, “[a]s a result of measles virus infections, an average of 150,000 patients experienced respiratory complications, and 4,000 suffered from encephalitis annually, with the latter often resulting in neurological damage or death.”
Myth: Measles can cure cancer
Absolutely not. This myth has recently gained traction due to Darla Shine, an author, blogger, former Fox TV producer, and wife of White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Bill Shine.
She later explained that her comments were based on this story, where a woman’s cancer went into remission following an experimental treatment involving a high dose of the measles vaccine.
She references a blog post that cites a CNN report, stating: “researchers administered a highly concentrated, lab-engineered measles virus, akin to the measles vaccine, to the patient, Stacy Erholtz, and five other multiple myeloma patients. The dose Erholtz received contained enough of the virus to vaccinate roughly 10 million people.”
Therefore, this does not prove that contracting measles or any other childhood illness will ‘keep you healthy & fight cancer.’
Myth: The measles vaccine is ineffective
The measles vaccine is highly effective, though no vaccine is flawless. With an efficacy rate of 93 percent (or 97 percent with both recommended doses), some vaccinated individuals may still contract measles during an outbreak.
Myth: Anti-vaccine advocates only harm themselves
An unvaccinated individual is not only at risk of contracting the disease but also capable of transmitting it to others. Recall the explanation that the flu shot isn’t just about you, asshole? The measles vaccine amplifies this principle even further.
Measles is incredibly infectious. Simply entering a room previously occupied by someone with measles and inhaling the lingering virus can lead to infection. In the pre-vaccine era, an infected person typically spread the disease to 20 others. In densely populated areas, like Disneyland a few years ago, the risk escalates dramatically.
When 90 to 95 percent of a population is vaccinated, outbreaks are unlikely to gain traction. However, if clusters of unvaccinated individuals gather—such as in schools with numerous vaccine exemptions—an outbreak can originate there and spread more easily.
So, who contracts measles? Unvaccinated children, who didn’t choose their fate, are at risk. Additionally, individuals with immune system disorders who cannot safely receive vaccines are vulnerable. Most concerning for new parents is that infants don’t receive the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine until they’re one year old. In outbreak areas or during travel, an earlier vaccine might be an option, though it’s not routinely recommended due to its limited effectiveness in babies. Herd immunity from widespread vaccination is their primary protection.
