Measles Myths: 6 Facts You Need to Know

Measles is a mostly benign condition that leaves a healthier child in its wake. Deaths from measles had almost completely disappeared before the vaccine was in mass usage. A vaccine was never needed and is unsafe. Here are 6 measles myths you need to know!

1. Myth: Measles is a dangerous disease.
    Fact: Measles is mostly harmless. 

Measles is a short-lived viral infection that begins with a fever that lasts for a couple of days, followed by a cough, runny nose and conjunctivitis (pink eye). A rash starts on the face, hairline and upper neck, spreads down the back and trunk, and extends to the extremities. After about 5 days, the rash fades.

For a typical child, measles is a mild and mostly harmless disease that leaves a stronger, healthier child in its wake; most adults born before 1965 got measles naturally and benefited from lifelong immunity as a result. Serious problems from measles are very, very rare. Recently the Disneyland measles brouhaha revealed that even though dozens of people came down with the measles (many of them fully vaccinated) everyone recovered completely and was healthier and stronger as a result.

This measles outbreak does not pose a great risk to a healthy child and quite frankly I don’t think it poses any risk to a healthy child.

– Jay Gordon, MD, former UCLA Medical Center pediatrician

http://vaccineimpact.com/2015/ucla-medical-center-pediatrician-let-parents-choose-on-measles-vaccine/#sthash.SvNqgHrZ.dpuf

2. Myth: Measles is killing children.
    Fact: The measles vaccine is killing children. 

Pediatricians continue to defend vaccination to the death.
The question parents should be asking is, ‘Whose death?’
 – Robert Mendelsohn, MD

No measles deaths for years

Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, stated there have been no measles deaths in the US since 2003.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr59/nvsr59_04.pdf http://vaccineimpact.com/2015/zero-u-s-measles-deaths-in-10-years-but-over-100-measles-vaccine-deaths-reported/#sthash.jsHvonAX.dpuf

Many measles vaccine deaths for years

However, the CDC’s National Vital Statistics Reports show 2 deaths associated with measles for 2009 and 2010. We do not know if those 2 people were vaccinated but most people who come down with measles are, in fact, fully vaccinated.

The National Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) recorded 108 children died from the measles vaccine during a ten-year period.

http://www.medalerts.org/vaersdb/index.php

But since MDs rarely report vaccine injuries that number is certainly much higher.

3. Myth: Few are hurt by the measles vaccine.
    Fact: Many are hurt by the measles vaccine.

The real number of vaccine injuries and death are certainly greater than official statistics due to underreporting. Measles vaccine injuries and deaths are far higher than deaths from the measles.

No one knows how many people are really hurt by the measles vaccine since medical doctors report less than 1% of vaccine injuries as stated in a 2010 US federal government report:

Adverse events from drugs and vaccines are common, but underreported. Although 25% of ambulatory patients experience an adverse drug event, less than 0.3% of all adverse drug events and 1-13% of serious events are reported to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Likewise, fewer than 1% of vaccine adverse events are reported.

Grant ID: R18 HS 017045 Electronic Support for Public Health–Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (ESP:VAERS) Inclusive dates: 12/01/07 – 09/30/10 Principal Investigator: Lazarus, Ross, MBBS, MPH, MMed, GDCompSci Team members: Michael Klompas, MD, MPH Performing Organization: Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Inc. Project Officer: Steve Bernstein Submitted to: The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 540 Gaither Road Rockville, MD 20850

https://healthit.ahrq.gov/sites/default/files/docs/publication/r18hs017045-lazarus-final-report-2011.pdf

4. Myth: Measles vaccinated children are protected.
    Fact: Measles vaccinated children are more at risk of fatal illnesses.

There are unusual forms of measles that only occur in vaccinated children:

Atypical measles

Atypical measles occurs only in the vaccinated and can be fatal.

http://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/discond/Pages/Measles.aspx

Atypical measles was initially thought to occur only in those who received the killed measles vaccine, but several investigators have reported this illness in children who had been vaccinated only with the live measles vaccine.

Nichols EM. Atypical measles: a continuing problem. Am J Public Health. 1979;69(2):160-162.http://healthimpactnews.com/2013/outbreaks-of-measles-in-vaccinated-children-intensifying/#sthash.kXoMlUEy.dpuf

SSPE

The measles vaccine can also cause subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), which is 100% fatal.

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/subacute_panencephalitis/subacute_panencephalitis.htm

5. Myth: The non-vaccinated have lots of measles.
    Fact: There are non-vaccinated communities reporting no measles.

Just one example is the Amish who are a religious community the vast majority of which are not vaccinated. They reported not a single case of measles between 1970 and 1987.

Sutter RW, Markowitz LE, Bennetch JM, Morris W, Zell ER, Preblud SR. Measles among the Amish: a comparative study of measles severity in primary and secondary cases in households. J Infect Dis. 1991 Jan;163(1):12-16.

However, the local highly‐vaccinated communities still reported epidemics every 2‐3 years.

Measles circulates more amongst the vaccinated than the non-vaccinated.

6. Myth: Measles deaths have disappeared as a result of vaccination.
    Fact: Measles deaths largely disappeared before the vaccine was in mass usage. 

In Conclusion

In our struggle to “conquer” disease we have unleashed an epidemic of chronically ill children who would have been far better off had we not interfered with natural diseases and instead worked with the natural cycles of life, recognizing that the wisdom that permeates nature is wiser than us all.

 

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