Measles and Vaccination Hesitation

The measles “outbreak” in South Carolina is showing little sign of slowing down. The state has confirmed 847 cases since October, making the outbreak larger than the one in Texas, which started slightly over a year ago.

The latest outbreak comes as the Trump administration has allegedly taken multiple steps to undermine overall confidence in vaccines - though I would argue a different cause for lack of confidence (see below). The U.S. could lose its designation as a country that has eliminated measles, defined as one year without a continuous chain of transmission. The designation is given by the Pan American Health Organization, which I didn’t know existed prior to now.

When asked whether the potential loss of measles elimination status was significant, Dr. Ralph Abraham, the principal deputy director of the CDC, said, "Not really." He also added, "… the president, Secretary [Kennedy], we talk all the time about religious freedom, health freedom, personal freedom. And I think we have to respect those communities that choose to go a somewhat of a different route."

Naturally, infectious disease experts and epidemiologists say the choice not to vaccinate is what's driving these outbreaks. True. However, let’s not panic. It’s not the Dark Ages. Only a small percentage of persons will not vaccinate.

Worldwide, vaccination rates lowered estimated measles deaths from 780,000 in 2000, to 95,000 in 2024. Despite the “vaccination hesitation” in the US, only three (3) of those deaths occurred here. That’s 0.00003% of deaths in a country with 5% of the world’s population. Access to medical care, especially for those under 5 who are in most danger, is a much higher determination as to the likelihood of death. In the US, death rates among measles cases, at least among sources I was able to find, were under 1%; most of those due to failure to get medical care.

Prior to the existence of the measles vaccine in 1963, measles took the lives of 2.4 million people worldwide every year, 0.086% of the world’s then population of 3 billion, or 1 per every 1155 people. If that rate existed today, it would add 10% to the number of overall US deaths in a given year. Thankfully, it doesn’t.

Though unlikely, measles can also cause other long-term health effects. The measles vaccine works in 97% of those who get one. I highly recommend vaccines for those who want them. On the other hand, I think we vaccinate too often, for too many things most of us will never get, and that all vaccinations should be left to the individual and parents. No one should be able to force another to put anything into their body they don’t want. It’s medical rape, be it beneficial or not.

Perhaps if the Center for Disease hadn’t arguably lied about all things Covid, from masks with little effectiveness, to transparent shields that serve no purpose when we’re all handling the same groceries and doorknobs, to stay-at-home mandates that caused our children to be depressed, maybe… just maybe, there would be less vaccination hesitation.

Source used: National Public Radio