Post : Fact Checking the Idea That Measles Was Never a Scary Disease
URL : [link removed]
Posted : February 25, 2024 at 1:48 pm
Author : Vincent Iannelli, MD
Tags : Ben Tapper, Brady Bunch, chiropractors, Disinformation Dozen, Joseph Molner, Lassie, measles deaths, Norman Lewak, Paul Offit, pre-vaccine era, Roald Dahl, Ronald Reagan
Categories : Vaxopedia

Why do some people think that measles was never a scary disease?

[link removed] There were "only" 41 measles deaths in the United States when the Brady Bunch measles episode ( [link removed] ) first aired in 1969, down from recent highs of 4-500 deaths thanks to the introduction of the first measles vaccines. Ben Tapper sells (literally ( [link removed] ) ) fear of vaccines, trying to convince you that it is more dangerous to get vaccinated ( [link removed] ) than it is to get a natural infection ( [link removed] ) , even measles.

The usual suspects...

Ben Tapper Says That Measles Was Never a Scary Disease

While Ben Tapper ( [link removed] ) , a chiropractor ( [link removed] ) and member of the Disinformation Dozen ( [link removed] ) might try to convince you that measles is not a deadly disease, we know the truth.

Measles has always been a very scary disease ( [link removed] ) .

> "It is not yet generally accepted that measles can be a dangerous illness. Believe me, it is. In my opinion parents who now refuse to have their children immunised are putting the lives of those children at risk."
>
> Roald Dahl’s letter after his daughter's death from measles

A killer!

Remember the Lassie episode ( [link removed] ) (1958) when Timmy had measles and looked pretty sick? When everyone got measles ( [link removed] ) , measles was everywhere, even on TV.

In the pre-vaccine era, measles killed ( [link removed] ) about 4-500 people in the United States each year.

> "About 4,000,000 cases occur each year in the United States. about 400 children die; another 400 develop encephalitis or "brain fever." Still others have various complication. Measles stirs up an ear or kidney, or can be associated with pneumonia, heart disease, tuberculosis, or asthma. So it's not such a "harmless" disease some of the time"
>
> Dr. Joseph Molner

And this was in the 1950s and '60s, so you can't credit improved hygiene and sanitation ( [link removed] ) for any decrease in cases or deaths.

[link removed] Pediatricians fought to get kids vaccinated and protected and prevent "unnecessary" measles epidemics and deaths once the first measles vaccines ( [link removed] ) were introduced, because they knew first hand that measles is a deadly disease, remembering when measles ( [link removed] ) would cause big epidemics each year ( [link removed] ) .

But you don't have to go back to the pre-vaccine era to know that measles is a scary disease.

Measles is a Scary Disease

Remember the large measles epidemics from 1989 to 1991 ( [link removed] ) in the United States that most folks blame on President Ronald Reagan's ( [link removed] ) cuts to immunization programs? Nationwide, at least 123 people died among 55,000 cases, with another 11,000 hospitalized!

And of course, there is the simple fact that measles continues to kill hundreds of thousands of people each year worldwide ( [link removed] ) .

[link removed]
The MMR vaccine is safe ( [link removed] ) with few risks ( [link removed] ) and it is obviously necessary ( [link removed] ) . Don't let folks like Ben Tapper scare ( [link removed] ) you away from vaccinating ( [link removed] ) and protecting your kids.

Get vaccinated ( [link removed] ) and protected.

Measles ( [link removed] ) is not a mild disease ( [link removed] ) . And it never was.

More on Measles

( [link removed] ) Why Have We Forgotten About the Importance of Vaccination Against Measles? ( [link removed] )

* The Myth That Measles Isn’t Deadly ( [link removed] )

* Parents Who Regret Not Vaccinating Their Kids ( [link removed] )

* ( [link removed] ) Why Are You Still Worried About the MMR Vaccine? ( [link removed] )

* Ask 8 Questions Before You Skip a Vaccine ( [link removed] )

* Roald Dahl’s letter after his daughter's death from measles ( [link removed] )

WHO - Global measles threat continues to grow as another year passes with millions of children unvaccinated ( [link removed] )

* Increase in Measles Deaths Demands Urgent Action to Save Lives ( [link removed] )

* How dangerous is a measles outbreak? ( [link removed] )

* Measles: The forgotten killer ( [link removed] )

* Measles More Deadly Than We Thought ( [link removed] )

* The Disinformation Dozen: The Sequel ( [link removed] )

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