What People Get Wrong This Week: Measles Myths
A recent measles outbreak in West Texas has resulted in 159 cases in the state; 22 victims required hospitalization, one died. In response to the deadly outbreak, some parents in Texas appear to be considering holding ” measles parties ” instead of vaccinating their children. Misinformation about measles can have deadly consequences, so we’ll look at some ways you can get measles the wrong way.
Myth: Measles vaccines are potentially dangerous
Although a small percentage of people experience side effects from the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, they are almost always mild. The most common is fever, which affects 5% to 10% of vaccinated people. About 2–5% develop a mild rash, while about 1 in 4,000 develop something more serious. On the other hand, the “side effects” of contracting the disease itself are much worse: almost 100% of people who contract the disease develop symptoms such as fever, red eyes, sore throat and a blotchy rash. About one in 300 people who get measles will die.
Myth: The measles vaccine gives people measles.
Belief that measles outbreaks are caused by the measles vaccine is growing in some quarters, fueled by advocates such as Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccination group founded by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The measles vaccine works by introducing a weakened form of the measles virus into the body, causing an immune response. The theory is that people who are vaccinated against measles spread the disease to others. But while the measles virus can potentially be detected in people up to four weeks after vaccination, it is extremely unlikely that the virus will be transmitted to anyone in such a weakened form, which is important given that measles itself is one of the most contagious diseases . Regarding the Texas outbreak specifically, all cases were tested to be sure and all were declared to be the result of wild measles . No one became infected with the virus as a result of the vaccine “shedding” because this does not happen with the measles vaccine.
Myth: The measles vaccine is linked to autism
The measles vaccine has been available since 1963. It has prevented countless cases of the disease and has long been proven safe and effective. But people are still hesitant to take it and/or give it to their children. One reason is the belief that the measles vaccine, or any other vaccine, can cause autism. A recent poll by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania found that 24% of Americans believe there is a link between vaccines and autism, while 3% are unsure.
The supposed link between autism and vaccinations is based on two flawed studies that have been completely and utterly disproven . Simply put, if you listen to the science, there is nothing there. Measles vaccines are safe and effective, preventing disease and thereby saving lives. If enough people are vaccinated, we can eliminate measles from our country (in fact, the World Health Organization declared it eliminated in the US back in 2000, although as lower vaccination rates have recently led to more frequent outbreaks, such recognition is in jeopardy ). It really is that simple.
Myth: Measles can be cured or prevented with vitamin A
There is some truth to the idea that vitamin A can be used to treat measles, but it is a small amount. Research in developing countries suggests that vitamin A may help prevent complications in severe cases of measles, and that children with low levels of vitamin A tend to develop more severe cases of measles. But in the United States, where few children suffer from such nutritional deficiencies, it is unclear whether there is any benefit from taking vitamin A for measles . The position of some doctors: “Why not?” but vitamin A is not part of the treatment protocol for measles in the United States, let alone a recognized treatment or preventive measure. It is definitely not a replacement for vaccination.
To prevent cases of measles during the current outbreak, public health officials are urging people to get vaccinated. One interesting thing about the measles vaccine: As the Texas Department of State Health Services notes , the dose can be given within 72 hours of exposure to the virus to reduce the severity of the disease if you do get sick.
Myth: Measles can be prevented by “natural means”
The only “natural” way to prevent the spread of measles is to stay away from other people if you are infected with it. Measles doesn’t care whether you eat healthy or exercise. It is extremely contagious—according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ” if one person is contagious, up to 9 out of 10 people nearby will become infected if they are not protected .” If you are generally healthy, this may lead to a better outcome if you are infected , but not getting infected at all (by getting vaccinated) is an infinitely healthier choice.
Myth: Measles parties can help children gain “natural immunity”
While surviving measles will protect you from reinfection, this “natural” immunity does not provide any more protection against the disease than vaccination, and, again, it is much riskier: About three out of every 1,000 people who get measles die ( a number that sadly includes a child in Texas during the current outbreak ), and many more suffer life-altering complications. As Dr. Ron Cook, chief medical officer at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, said at a press conference , “We cannot predict who will have a bad time with measles, end up in the hospital, potentially get pneumonia or encephalitis, or potentially die.
“It’s stupid to have measles parties,” he added with what I assumed was a pained sigh.
Myth: The current measles outbreak is normal.
Deadly measles outbreaks are rare in the United States. Until this year, not a single child had died from measles since 2015 . Heck, measles has been considered eliminated in both North and South America since 2000 . Since 2000, measles outbreaks in our country have been small and sporadic, initiated by travelers who brought sick people from abroad. Quick action by the CDC and local health authorities usually brought the situation back under control. But low measles vaccination rates make it easier for these small outbreaks to spread to larger areas, and we may be facing a new and growing problem.
In addition to Texas, cases of measles have been reported this year in Kentucky, California , New Mexico, Georgia, Alaska, New Jersey and Pennsylvania , but with fewer than 200 cases total, it is unclear whether the current wave is the start of a larger problem. But this is not good. The fear is that the current climate of vaccine hesitancy and declining vaccination rates will reduce the percentage of people immunized so much that measles will regain a foothold in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a vaccination rate of 95% is needed for “herd immunity,” but we are falling below that magic number. In fourteen states, the rate fell below 90 percent .
Myth: If you’ve been vaccinated, you won’t get measles.
The measles vaccine is extremely effective (and safe), but not 100% effective. It is “only” 97% effective . No one knows why a small number of people get measles even if they have been vaccinated. On the plus side, vaccinated people who suffer from a measles “outbreak” tend to have milder cases.
Myth: We can’t do anything about the rise in measles cases
The sudden surge in measles cases is alarming, but it is nothing compared to the measles outbreak that occurred in the early 1990s. This case was much worse, but it also provides historical evidence for how to deal with a measles outbreak.
Even though the vaccine was almost 30 years old at the time, there were 27,000 cases of measles reported in the United States in 1990. Low-income communities in New York City were hit hardest, although outbreaks were also reported in Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Houston. The main reason was the same as in the current outbreak: not enough people were vaccinated. In 1990, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that about half of all babies living in inner-city New York City had not been vaccinated by their second birthday, largely because the vaccine was difficult to obtain or affordable.
The response from city, state and federal governments included large-scale community outreach programs, mobile immunization centers, the creation of a federal, congressionally mandated childhood vaccination program, pro-vaccine messages flashed in Times Square, and even Michelangelo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles emerging from the sewers to encourage children to get vaccinated. In short, we really threw everything we had into promoting vaccination and measles control. And it worked: New York’s vaccination rate exceeded 90% . Whether such efforts will work in today’s climate of mistrust and misinformation is an open question, but at least there is evidence that vaccination once helped contain the outbreak.