posted March 14, 2025 07:25 PM            

What You Need to Know About Measles in 2025

Measles is in the news – a lot – these days, due to an outbreak in Texas, and other areas of the U.S. too. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), a total of 164 cases have been reported in Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, Rhode Island and Texas. Although the media hype makes this outbreak seem unusual, the CDC reports that there were 16 outbreaks during 2024. During 2024, there were a total of 285 cases, with 40% of these cases involving hospitalization. This would appear to indicate that these were serious cases, but the site reports that hospitalizations were for purposes of both isolation and complications.[i] It is impossible to determine how sick the children really were.

Outbreaks of measles in the U.S. are regular occurrences, but how much attention is paid to them seems to depend on current events and politics.

Background Information About Measles and the MMR Vaccine

According to the CDC, prior to 1963, nearly all children got measles by the time they were 15 years old, and between 3 million and 4 million people in the U.S. were infected each year. About 48,000 were hospitalized, and 400-500 died.[ii] In other words, the hospitalization rate was between 0.012% and 0.016%; and the death rate was an average of 0.00012%. Critical thinkers might conclude that a measles vaccine was not necessary. Most people contracted measles as children, achieved lifetime immunity, and very few were hospitalized and even fewer died. Despite these data, the first measles vaccine was licensed in 1963, and widespread measles vaccination began in 1968.[iii] In 1978, the CDC announced its goal to eliminate measles from the U.S. by 1982. This goal was not achieved due to an outbreak of measles in 1989 among vaccinated school-aged children. In response, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) recommended a second dose of the MMR vaccine. Subsequently the CDC announced that measles was eradicated from the U.S. by 2000.[iv]

How Effective is the MMR Vaccine?

During the last 10 years, the United States and other developed countries have experienced an increase in the number of measles, mumps, and rubella cases, mostly in vaccinated individuals and in communities with a high vaccination rate. How common are these outbreaks and how effective is the MMR vaccine?

A research group analyzed data from six studies that looked at vaccine efficacy and determined that the mumps vaccine wanes between 16 and 51 years after vaccination (an average of 27 years). The researchers reported that outbreaks among adolescents and young adults in the late 1980s and early 1990s and from 2006 to the present are in alignment with the time when the vaccine would be expected to wear off.[v]

How to address this? Of course, more boosters. The researchers suggested a third dose of vaccine at 18 years of age, and booster doses through adulthood as the best way to prevent mumps outbreaks in older people. Fortunately, this policy was never adopted.

In 1985, researchers reported an outbreak of measles in a fully vaccinated group of adolescents in Corpus Christi, Texas. They wrote, "We conclude that outbreaks of measles can occur in secondary schools, even when more than 99 percent of the students have been vaccinated, and more than 95 percent are immune."[vi]

In Montana in 1995, a measles outbreak in a population with a vaccination rate of 98.7% led researchers to report "This outbreak suggests that measles transmission may persist in some settings despite appropriate implementation of the current measles elimination strategy."[vii]

A 2014 study confirmed that measles-rubella (MR) and measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccines do not prevent these diseases even in highly vaccinated populations. In China, despite widespread and free vaccination campaigns that resulted in very high vaccination rates, in 2008 there were 12,782 cases of measles reported in just one county.[viii]

posted March 14, 2025 07:26 PM            

Like clockwork, in early 2019 over 100 cases of measles were reported in 10 states. At the time, the approximate population of the U.S. was 330 million people, which means the new definition of an epidemic was a disease that affected 1 out of every 3.3 million people.

The response – hysteria. Washington State Governor Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency after 26 confirmed cases were reported, and a few days later, Washington Department of Health officials declared a state of emergency too in response to a total of 36 cases statewide.[xi]

Then-congressman Adam Schiff wrote a letter to Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook (now Meta) and Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google expressing concern that the platforms were "…recommending information that discourages parents from vaccinating their children, contributing to declining vaccination rates which could reverse progress made in tackling vaccine-preventable diseases." He also wrote: "There is no evidence to suggest that vaccines cause life-threatening or disabling diseases, and the dissemination of unfounded and debunked theories about the dangers of vaccinations pose a great risk to public health."

It's unlikely that Schiff combed through medical journals to make sure that vaccines were "safe and effective" before demanding that dissenters be silenced. But nonetheless, he demanded censorship, writing:
"There is strong evidence to suggest that at least part of the source of this trend is the degree to which medically inaccurate information about vaccines surface on the websites where many Americans get their information, among them YouTube and Google search.
"As I have discussed with you… the algorithms which power these services are not designed to distinguish quality information from misinformation or misleading information, and the consequences of that are particularly troubling for public health issues. If a concerned parent consistently sees information in their YouTube recommendations that casts doubt on the safety or efficacy of vaccines, it could cause them to disregard the advice of their children’s physicians and public health experts and decline to follow the recommended vaccination schedule. Repetition of information, even if false, can often be mistaken for accuracy, and exposure to anti-vaccine content via social media may negatively shape user attitudes towards vaccination.
"I am requesting additional information on the steps that you currently take to provide medically accurate information on vaccinations to your users, and to encourage you to consider additional steps you can take to address this growing problem."[xii]

Adam Schiff was not the only one calling for censorship of information concerning vaccines. Other members of Congress are also "vaccine believers," and for good reason. There are three Pharma lobbyists for every member of Congress and the U.S. Senate.[xiii] Some of Schiff’s colleagues agreed with him, and President Biden and White House staff called for widespread censorship concerning everything from the origin of SARS-CoV-2 to COVID vaccines. Censorship is dissipating, and at least some discussion and debate is finally taking place. But this issue is far from resolved.

Is Complete Eradication of Measles Even Possible?

According to the CDC, one dose of MMR vaccine is 95% effective against measles and two doses is 97% effective.[xiv] But, as shown above, vaccinated children do get measles. Research shows that children can develop mild cases of measles right after vaccination and have no overt symptoms,[xv] and can spread the disease to other children. One article published in a virology journal stated,
"…vaccine reactions and detection of measles vaccine RNA in recently immunized persons may complicate case classification especially in those presenting with another respiratory viral illness."
"Shedding of measles vaccine RNA is not uncommon and vaccine RNA can be detected up to 29 days post MMR."[xvi]

posted March 14, 2025 07:27 PM            

So, here we are again – a measles outbreak, just after Robert F. Kennedy, who has publicly questioned the "safe and effective" narrative, was confirmed as the new Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). To add fuel to the fire, one of the affected children who had not been vaccinated died.[xviii] However, it not clear that the cause of death was measles. Texas State Health Services reported that the child "…was hospitalized in Lubbock last week and tested positive for measles,"[xix] not that the child died from measles, an important distinction. I was unable to find information about this child’s health status prior to contracting measles. There is also no information about whether or not the child received the MMR vaccine while in the hospital, and other important details that would provide insight into what really happened.

What Can We Expect From RFK?

Many people have written to me expressing their concern about RFK’s statements about the measles outbreak and vaccines. They expected him to counter the safe and effective narrative, point out that outbreaks are common, and say that the vaccine may not be as effective as the public has been told. They’ve also reported dismay that he even appeared to be supportive of vaccination, which seems quite different from his stance prior to his appointment.

Here is what he posted on the DHHS website:
"As the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I am deeply concerned about the recent measles outbreak.

This situation has escalated rapidly, with the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) reporting 146 confirmed cases since late January 2025, primarily in the South Plains region. Tragically, this outbreak has claimed the life of a school-aged child, the first measles-related fatality in the United States in over a decade.[xx]

"In response to this outbreak, I have directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) to work closely with the Texas health authorities to provide comprehensive support. HHS’ efforts include offering technical assistance, laboratory support, vaccines, and therapeutic medications as needed. The CDC is in continuous communication with Texas health officials, ensuring a coordinated and effective response to contain the outbreak…

"As healthcare providers, community leaders, and policymakers, we have a shared responsibility to protect public health. This includes ensuring that accurate information about vaccine safety and efficacy is disseminated. We must engage with communities to understand their concerns, provide culturally competent education, and make vaccines readily accessible for all those who want them.

"Parents play a pivotal role in safeguarding their children’s health. All parents should consult with their healthcare providers to understand their options to get the MMR vaccine. The decision to vaccinate is a personal one. Vaccines not only protect individual children from measles, but also contribute to community immunity, protecting those who are unable to be vaccinated due to medical reasons."[xxi]

What to Make of RFK’s Response and What’s Next?

Let’s take a deep breath and give Kennedy a little time. He’s been at his new post for only a few weeks. He’s already cancelled vaccine-related committee meetings and pledged to get rid of conflicted committee members, which is a step in the right direction. It’s time for a little cautious optimism, and there is nothing to be gained by undermining him at this time. Health freedom advocates have a bad habit of gaslighting people who are trying to help them, while supporting others who are unreliable, and who often make things worse. This is one of the reasons why I insisted that our own advocacy organization, Make Americans Free Again, remain independent and why we do not collaborate with other health freedom groups.

Let’s also recognize that we, the citizens who are impacted by public health policies, are responsible for changing things too. While we were not paying attention, the medical system and public health managed to gain considerable

posted March 15, 2025 01:24 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by teasel:
Why would I trust this person?

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You are perfectly entitled to have a different opinions on those facts. Each of the facts presented can be verified with a simple google search.