Relentless lies lead parents to make foolish, deadly decisions
It is extremely contagious. 92% of unvaccinated people
exposed to measles end up contracting the disease.
Nevertheless, in 2000, the World Health Organization declared that
measles had been eradicated in the United States. This was due
to the historic success of a vaccination program, which stopped the spread of
the disease.
Today, measles is back.
The spread of measles is directly related to vaccine hesitancy. The epicenter of the current outbreak is Gaines County, where the Mennonite community has low vaccination rates. There is no religious prohibition against vaccines, but "has historically avoided interacting with the health care system and has a long tradition of using home remedies and supplements."
In some school districts in the county, less than half of
the kindergarten population was vaccinated. Texas allows parents to opt out of
the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella, for
"reasons of conscience."
Low vaccination rates have allowed the measles outbreak to
spread to neighboring New Mexico, which has nearly
100 recorded cases. Kentucky reported its first
outbreak on June 27. Across Kentucky, MMR vaccination rates have declined
to 86.9%. Only July 1, Wyoming reported its
first case of measles in 15 years.
Outbreaks have also occurred in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia,
Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Utah.
Deadly vaccine misinformation
MMR vaccination rates have plummeted due to the spread of
misinformation about the safety and efficacy of vaccines. One of the most
influential sources of misinformation, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., serves in the
Trump administration as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has
used his high-profile position to misinform millions of people about measles
and the MMR vaccine.
Before joining the Trump administration, Kennedy sued
the state of New York for requiring the MMR vaccine, arguing that it
was dangerous and unnecessary.
In an appearance on Fox News on March 11, 2025, Kennedy suggested that contracting measles was preferable to getting vaccinated. Kennedy told Sean Hannity that "when you and I were kids, everybody got measles and measles… gave you… lifetime protection against measles infection. The vaccine doesn't do that."
Kennedy falsely claimed the MMR "vaccine wanes about 4.5% per year. So that means older people are essentially unvaccinated." In reality, although the concentration of measles antibodies can decrease over time, the MMR vaccine provides lifetime immunity for nearly everyone, which is why so few vaccinated people contract measles. (The 4.5% per year figure is not supported by scientific evidence.)
Kennedy also falsely suggested that the vaccine was just as
dangerous as measles. "There are adverse events from the vaccine,"
Kennedy said. "It does cause deaths every year. It causes -- it causes all
the illnesses that -- measles itself cause[s] encephalitis and blindness, et
cetera, and so on."
The claim that the MMR vaccine causes death each year is
false. According to the Infectious Diseases Society of America, there are
"no
deaths shown to be related to the MMR vaccine in healthy people." In
rare instances, the MMR vaccine has caused death in immunocompromised people,
which is why the vaccine is not recommended for that population.
Further, "there
is no evidence of an association between MMR immunisation and encephalitis."
It also does
not cause blindness. Among the millions of people who received the vaccine
there "a few case reports of an eye condition called optic neuritis."
It is "a temporary clinical situation, which resolves after administration
of a high dose of corticosteroid in the initial phase of the therapy."
In May, Kennedy refused
to endorse measles vaccination, telling a House panel that he would
"probably" opt for measles vaccination if he had a child today. Asked
about the issue during a Senate committee, Kennedy insisted that he was
"not going to just tell people everything is safe and effective if I know
that there's issues."
Instead, Kennedy has promoted over-the-counter vitamins and
supplements for people who contract measles, including Vitamin
A and cod liver oil. Neither supplement is an
effective treatment for measles. Nevertheless, Kennedy asked "the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop new guidance for treating
measles with drugs and vitamins."
Undermining vaccine science
Kennedy has repeatedly
suggested that childhood vaccines like the MMR vaccine cause autism,
citing discredited research. He refused to rule out the link during his Senate
confirmation hearing in January. In a visit to Texas, Kennedy said people
should spend less
time worrying about measles and more time focused on autism.
In April, Kennedy announced a “massive
testing and research effort” to determine why autism rates in the United
States have increased. Medical professionals and researchers attribute the rise
to "increased awareness, broader definitions of what constitutes autism,
improved screening tools and processes, and earlier detection." Kennedy
said, "Maybe it's a shot."
Last month, Kennedy dismissed "all
17 members of the advisory committee on immunization to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention." To win the support of Senator Bill Cassidy
(R-LA), who is a doctor, Kennedy pledged not to alter the composition of the
panel. Kennedy then "named
eight new members, at least half of whom have expressed some skepticism about
vaccines." The first meeting of the new group featured a presentation by
"Lyn Redwood, a former leader of Children’s Health Defense, an
anti-vaccine group Mr. Kennedy founded."
Redwood's presentation included "a study in
animals" that "suggested that use of the vaccine preservative
thimerosal" could have “long-term consequences in the brain.” The
study does
not exist. Kennedy subsequently hired
Redwood as an advisor.
