By The Columbian Editorial Board
Thanks to robust public health efforts and widespread vaccinations, measles have mostly been eliminated in the United States. But it remains important to combat an anti-vaccination movement and fraudulent science by frequently sharing accurate information regarding disease prevention.
Two cases of measles have been confirmed in the Portland area in recent weeks, and a suspected case has been identified in a Clark County child. (The Snohomish Health District warned this week that the public may have been exposed to measles at several locations in Monroe and Everett in mid-June.) While these cases do not qualify as a pandemic, they offer the opportunity to once again debunk the absurdity that is the anti-vaxx movement. It is essential for people to receive recommended vaccinations to protect not only themselves but those they come into contact with.
Getting that message out has been an uphill battle in recent years, with many people duped by misinformation easily found on the internet. The genesis of such information can be traced to a fraudulent “study” by a British doctor named Andrew Wakefield in 1998. Wakefield purported to link the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella) to autism. He was hoping to receive a patent on his own vaccine, giving him reason to discredit the most common vaccine, and also was being paid by lawyers who hoped to make a case for their autistic patients.
Wakefield’s “research” was later discredited and he was stripped of his medical license, but the wounds he inflicted upon the public have yet to heal. He launched a campaign of misinformation that continues to threaten public health. In 2000, measles were considered eliminated in the United States, but by 2014 there were a reported 667 cases in this country.
Meanwhile, numerous studies have found no link between vaccines and autism. Since 2003, nine studies funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have denied any connection; other independent studies have reached the same conclusion. In addition, a common internet meme about the MMR vaccine causing deaths among children is wholly fabricated.
Despite mountains of evidence regarding the effectiveness and the safety of the MMR vaccine, a disconcerting number of people cling to inaccurate information. Washington is one of 18 states that allows parents to refuse to vaccinate school children for reasons other than religious practices, and the percentage of those opting out has crept up in recent years. State officials say the MMR vaccination rate for children is just over 90 percent, which is the minimum required for herd immunity.
That threshold is significant for protecting public health. Some people are unable to receive vaccines because of other medical issues, and vaccines are not 100 percent effective for those who do receive them. Officials say one dose of measles vaccine is 93 percent effective, and the recommended two doses are 97 percent effective.
The Clark County child suspected of contracting measles reportedly had up-to-date vaccines, pointing out the need to protect against the disease on all fronts. Measles are spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes — even if that person is not displaying symptoms — and can linger in the air for hours. That endangers people who are unable to be vaccinated and even some who have been.
The frustration of the situation comes from the fact that measles once was eliminated in the United States and easily could be again. But falsehoods and a willingness to eschew science have led to a return of the disease. For the good of our community, all people who are able to receive recommended vaccines should do so.
The above editorial appeared Thursday in The Columbian, Vancouver, Washington.
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