Most folks remember Dr. Bob’s response to the measles outbreak in his home town.
He told folks DON’T PANIC!!!!
More Measles Hysteria From Bob Sears and Melissa Floyd
That was nearly four years ago, during the Disneyland measles outbreak.
So what’s he saying now?
He’s moved from panic (a sudden overpowering fright) to hysteria (behavior exhibiting overwhelming or unmanageable fear or emotional excess), but is still pushing his usual talking points.
He has changed the way he is talking about measles deaths though.
Remember how he used to say that measles wasn’t deadly and that no one had died of measles in a long time? Now, instead of acknowledging that a woman got caught up in the 2015 outbreaks in Washington and died, he has shifted to saying that there hasn’t been a pediatric death in a long time.
Either way, it is important to understand something he leaves out. There are few deaths from measles these days because most folks are vaccinated!
Whatever his motivation, let’s take a look at what Dr. Bob is saying about measles…
“Measles hysteria is everywhere. And it’s clear the hysteria is a result of media fear around this disease, a disease every child used to get (and handle virtually without complication) not that long ago.”
Dr. Bob Sears
Not that long ago?
I’ve been a pediatrician for 22 years and I have never seen a child with measles. Neither did I have measles, as I was fortunate enough to grow up in the post-vaccine era for measles – a vaccine that has been available for since the 1960s.
And while every child did indeed once get measles, in the pre-vaccine era, not all handled it without complications, which is why measles was called the harmless killer.
Anti-vaccine folks try to hide the risks of measles in mortality rates, but the reality of it is that about 500 people died each year up until the early 1960s when the first measles vaccine was developed.
And I guess that wasn’t that long ago, after all, we had good hygiene and sanitation and healthcare at the time, and yet, a lot of people still died.
“There is another side to this measles conversation: how we’ve unintentionally shifted the burden of disease to babies and adults, both groups who are more likely to experience complications, by vaccinating all schoolchildren and losing natural immunity.”
Dr. Bob Sears
There is really only one side to this.
Folks who are intentionally not vaccinating their kids are getting measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases and are putting us all at risk to get sick.
After all, the MMR vaccine provides life-long immunity to most people. That’s not the problem.
If we went back to the pre-vaccine era, when everyone got measles naturally, as Dr. Bob seems to be advocating for, not only would those kids have to earn their immunity, but many babies (those who hadn’t had measles yet) and adults (those with immune system problems) would still be at great risk.
Are you starting to see how silly his arguments are?
We almost had measles beat!
Consider that there were just 37 measles cases in the United States in 2004. And that we have already had more than twice that amount this month alone!
And while measles was cyclical in the pre-vaccine era, it shouldn’t be when folks are vaccinated and protected. What happened to the cycles between 1997 and 2007?
“Unlike natural immunity, the measles vaccine does NOT offer lifelong protection. Estimates of its protection average around 15 years, and describe a phenomenon in the vaccine world known as “waning immunity.”
Melissa Floyd
The measles vaccine provides lifelong protection. Waning immunity only refers to protection against mumps. And no, there is no call for a third MMR dose for extra protection against measles.
“The other trend we’ve seen over the past 10 years is an increase in adult measles cases. “
Melissa Floyd
Dr. Bob’s sidekick neglects to mention that in addition to unvaccinated kis with measles, the trend is an increase in measles cases in unvaccinated adults! After all, most folks who get measles in these outbreaks are unvaccinated.
“To recap: by losing natural immunity for measles for children 5-19 years old, we’ve exposed babies, pregnant women, and adults to measles—all vulnerable groups who are more likely to experience serious complications from the disease.”
Melissa Floyd
Perhaps the only true statement that they make – “we’ve exposed babies, pregnant women, and adults to measles—all vulnerable groups who are more likely to experience serious complications from the disease.”
And no, vitamin A is not a proven therapy or measles in developed countries. It mainly helps prevent complications in kids who have a vitamin A deficiency.
Hopefully, it is becoming evident that what we need to stop is the anti-vaccine propaganda that keeps folks from vaccinating and protecting their kids. We need to stop the outbreaks.
More on More Measles Hysteria From Bob Sears and Melissa Floyd
- How Do Anti-Vaccine Folks Think?
- Why Are Anti-Vaccine Folks Panicking over the Measles Outbreaks?
- Propaganda Busting Confirms Anti-vaccine Sites Photoshop Images
- Did Dr. Bob Uncover a CDC Plot to Give Adult Flu Shots to Babies?
- Dr. Baker Says to Stop Worrying About Measles!
- What Are Anti-Vaccine Folks Saying About the Measles Outbreaks?
- What to Do If Your Child Is Exposed to Measles
- The Brady Bunch Measles Episode
- The Myth That Measles Isn’t Deadly
- Measles Propaganda from The Physicians for Informed Consent
- Why Do We Only Worry About Measles?
- Can MMR Shedding Start a Measles Outbreak?
- Who Dies with Measles?
- Does Having Measles Protect You from Cancer?
- Did the Measles Vaccine Have Only a Meager Effect on Deaths?
- Fun and Games with Measles?
- Measles Deaths in the 21st Century
- About Those Measles Outbreaks in China
- When Was the Last Measles Death in the United States?
- The Pacific Northwest Measles Outbreak of 2019
- News on the Latest Measles Outbreaks of 2019
- CDC – Measles Cases and Outbreaks
- Measles outbreak in Washington State 2019
- Pacific Northwest Measles Outbreak Winter 2019
Last Updated on October 7, 2020