Posts Mislead About Measles, MMR Vaccine Amid Recent Outbreaks

SciCheck Digest Measles is a highly contagious disease that can be serious and even fatal. Fortunately, it can safely be prevented by vaccination. But in the wake of outbreaks in the U.S. and elsewhere — likely in large part due to low vaccination coverage — social media posts have downplayed the risks of measles and falsely claimed the vaccine “is more dangerous than the actual illness.” Full Story Measles is a viral disease that causes a high fever, rash, cough, runny nose, and red and watery eyes. While often mild, the disease can lead to serious complications, including pneumonia and encephalitis, or brain swelling, which can cause deafness and brain damage. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about a fifth of unvaccinated people who contract measles are hospitalized. As many as 1 in 20 kids with measles develop pneumonia; about 1 in 1,000 develop encephalitis, and nearly 1 to 3 in 1,000 die. Vaccination, in contrast, is almost always effective in preventing measles and typically causes only mild side effects. With the advent of widespread vaccination, measles has become rare in the U.S., usually spreading only when an unvaccinated traveler brings it into the country and encounters...