Is There Actually a Measles "Outbreak?"

And is that even the important question?

Ready for my disclaimers? Here we go.

• This is not medical advice.

• The entire history of measles, the controversies surrounding it, and every bit of context will not fit in this article. Consider this a short version of what I believe to be the most important points.

• As with any vaccine conversation, I believe the TRUE foundation must be informed consent. We cannot have such a thing while being fear mongered by both parties.

So let’s break down the headline.

Measles cases are reportedly rising in the US. I say reportedly, because frankly, after 2020, we’ve all learned how fungible numbers are.

In this case, the left is blaming the “anti-vaxxers” and the right is blaming the influx of illegal immigrants bringing in disease. This about sums up the two sides:

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Frankly, I think we’re missing the point.

If, for a hot second, we could try NOT to jump to a side immediately, maybe we could ask the questions at the root of this story.

• Are the measles dangerous?

• What are the risks of the disease versus the risks of the vaccine?

Maybe there is an uptick. Maybe it is Biden’s fault. Maybe it’s those pesky medical freedom psychos (hi it’s me.) But I don’t think the partisan conversation is the one that matters. So instead, we’re going to address the questions I listed.

What are the measles?

Measles is highly contagious, similar to the common cold. According to the CDC Website, these are the symptoms:

• high fever

• cough

• runny nose

• red, watery eyes

They also list possible complications such as:

• Ear infections

• Diarrhea

• Pneumonia

• Encephalitis

The last reported death in the US from the measles was in 2015. Sadly the woman who passed away was undergoing chemo-therapy, and therefore was immune deficient. She was fully vaccinated. Prior to that occurrence, there were two deaths in 2003, one a 75 year old man who contracted it on his travels to Israel, and a 13 year old immunocompromised child.

The World Health Org Tells Us…

“Children with malnutrition or other causes of a weak immune system are at highest risk of death from measles.”

“The overwhelming majority of measles deaths occur in countries with low per capita incomes or weak health infrastructures…” (They cite Africa, Asia and the Middle East specifically.)

What do they recommend? Well, mass vaccination of course! “Community-wide vaccination is the most effective way to prevent measles. All children should be vaccinated against measles. The vaccine is safe, effective and inexpensive.”

Before we dive into my favorite scientific claim, “safe and effective,” let me tell you a little story.

Once upon a time, Merck made a vaccine for measles, a separate vaccine for mumps, and finally, a third separate vaccine for rubella. They came with a certain amount of risk, of course. But in 2009, in a first of its kind cocktail, Merck announced they would only be making this vaccine in a mix of all three.

Yay! Three times the potential side effects, in a scenario we would never seen in real life: the infection of three live viruses at the same time!

Oh, and if you were to follow the CDC schedule, your child would receive this shot sometime between 12-14 months, and a booster between ages 4-6. At just ONE YEAR OLD, three live viruses injected directly into your child. But heavens, please skip that terrifying raw milk.

You do have another option though. It’s called the MMRV, which is actually FOUR live viruses and covers the chicken pox too.

^ Me trying in vain to stick to the facts and keep my irritation at bay ^

PS - Data from 2010 shows that Merck made $1.4 billion on the MMR vaccine. Newsflash: fear sells.

Ok. I see your snark Bridget, but the vaccine basically eradicated measles deaths right??

In the US in the year 1960, you would have had a 1 in 500,000 chance of dying of the measles. (per the National Center for Heath Statistics.) That’s a 0.0002% death rate.

The measles vaccine was introduced in 1963.

There is quite a bit of evidence that measles cases have historically been underreported, due to the mildness of the overwhelming majority of cases, therefore these numbers are a bit difficult to corroborate. In other words, the rate of death is likely even lower.

Taking a deeper look into the history of vaccines in general will show that deaths from deadly diseases declined prior to the introduction of vaccines for said diseases, mostly during the 1950’s.

What could the possible reasons be? Some things to consider that changed around that time:

• Clean drinking water

• Better hygiene

• Better living conditions

So IS the MMR Vaccine “safe and effective?”

I mean, it’s not just the WHO. The CDC also assures us:

Look, every decision we make, medical or otherwise, is a risk and reward decision. over 34,000 people die in car accidents every year. There are still a lot of people out there driving. Risk. Reward.

The thing is…when it comes to vaccines, no one in the medical community seems to want to acknowledge the risks. (See the $1.4 billion amount above for a hint as to why.)

Because I believe you are smart enough to make the decision for yourself when armed with the facts, INCLUDING RISKS, here’s what they forgot to mention.

These are the possible side effects from the insert, included by the manufacturer with the vaccine. Thanks to Just the Inserts for this screenshot:

Here’s a link to more, directly from the manufacturer.

ICYMI, the potential side effects include all of the symptoms of deriving the disease naturally PLUS a whole bunch more.

Maybe by now you’re getting curious…what’s in this thing anyway?

Ingredients per Merck:

Chick embryo cell culture, WI-38 human diploid lung fibroblasts, vitamins, amino acids, fetal bovine serum, sucrose, glutamate, recombinant human albumin, neomycin, sorbitol, hydrolyzed gelatin, sodium phosphate, sodium chloride.

If you’re pro life, I think this is a pretty important ingredient to understand.

Thanks to the Everly Report for this slide.

A few final fun facts for the road:

• The MMR vaccine was not tested for safety against a placebo. How can safety be assured if it was never fully tested?

• Natural infection provides life long immunity, versus a shot that requires continued boosters.

• Here are three instances of vaccinated children who developed measles very shortly after vaccination: Case 1 | Case 2 | Case 3

• Adverse effects to vaccines are extremely underreported, as they rely on individuals or medical providers to 1) link the reaction to the vaccine, and 2) to report it. Even with that in mind, between 2000 and 2018, after receiving the MMR or MMRV, 190 people died, and more than 950 became permanently disabled. Seems relevant, right?

• There is no specific treatment for measles. However, many studies have shown that Vitamin A can be very helpful in the lessening of symptoms and duration.

You may not believe me…

after all of that, because it’s probably pretty clear where I stand. However I truly am not here to tell you what decision to make as far as MMR vaccination.

I’m simply here as a mom who has been increasingly frustrated at being villanized for simply wanting to make an informed risk and reward decision for my own child.

Dare to ask a question? YOU ANTI-VAXXER!

Dare to refuse or delay a shot? YOU DANGER TO SOCIETY!

Dare to refuse multiple shots? YOU CAN’T BE SEEN AT THIS FACILITY!

I simply want you to have the information. I want you to know that YOU can decide what’s best for your child. I want you to know that decisions for your child are your God given right, and no pediatrician, grandparent or school can take that away without your permission!

If you’re interested in more on informed consent, here are two podcast episodes for you:

A Responsibility and a Privilege (informed consent)

How to handle medical freedom conversations with family and friends

So I guess the jury is still out on the validity or source of a possible outbreak.

The real question is, does it matter? My hope with this little deep dive is that you gained enough information for some peace of mind, and that you use it as a jumping off place to learn more about these crucial decisions for our children.