Although online posts about measles have declined since last week, the conversation has continued as infections surpassed 350 nationwide. Several posts continued to minimize the severity of measles and claimed that news coverage of ongoing outbreaks is fearmongering to promote vaccines. Some vaccine opponents argued that measles outbreaks prove that vaccines don’t work, while others continued to allege without evidence that the MMR vaccines caused the outbreaks. Other myths that continue to spread are claims that vitamin A can prevent measles, that the measles vaccine causes autism, and that the vaccine is more dangerous than the disease.
Recommendation
A new survey found that support for requiring children to get MMR and other vaccines before entering school has declined since 2015, indicating that confidence in routine vaccines is waning. Messaging may explain that measles is an extremely contagious and potentially deadly disease that can be easily prevented through vaccination. Talking points may emphasize that vaccination is the only protection against measles.
