On March 17, Children’s Health Defense—an anti-vaccine group—shared an interview with the parents of an unvaccinated child who died of measles in Texas last month. In a video circulating widely on social media, the parents stated that they still oppose the MMR vaccine. They also falsely suggested that measles infections are not “as bad as [the media is] making it out to be” and promoted the unsubstantiated claim that measles infections can prevent cancer. While some social media posts expressed outrage at the parents for opposing the MMR vaccine despite their child’s death, others misleadingly claimed that the child died from pneumonia, not measles, when pneumonia was a complication from the child’s measles infection. False claims that measles is not dangerous and that the MMR vaccine is unsafe also emerged in response to posts highlighting new measles cases across several states.
Recommendation
As the measles outbreak that originated in Texas grows, false claims about measles and MMR vaccines are spreading rapidly. Debunking messaging may explain that measles is dangerous, especially for children, who can become very sick or die from the disease. Getting vaccinated against measles is much safer than getting infected, and two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97 percent effective at preventing measles. There is no evidence that measles infections prevent cancer. The CDC recommends that children receive one dose of the MMR vaccine at 12 to 15 months and a second dose at 4 to 6 years. Adults born after 1957 who have not received any MMR vaccines or aren’t sure of their vaccination status should talk to their health care provider about getting vaccinated, especially before travel.
Fact-checking sources: Healthy Children, FactCheck.org
