Tag: measles deaths

Is the Samoan Measles Outbreak Fabricated?

Why do some folks think that the Samoan measles outbreak is fabricated?

There are actually folks out there pushing the idea that the measles epidemic in Samoa is fake or fabricated.

It’s more than the usual suspects.

Understanding the Anti-Vax Response to Measles Deaths in Samoa

It is because wild conspiracy theories are the fuel of the modern anti-vaccine movement.

No one should be surprised either that they have invented 101 different theories about why kids are dying in Samoa.

It can’t simply be that they are unvaccinated and that measles is a life-threatening disease! That would interfere with their whole world view that it is okay to leave their own kids unvaccinated and unprotected because they think that vaccines are dangerous, aren’t necessary, and vaccine-preventable diseases aren’t that big of a deal.

Is the Samoan Measles Outbreak Fabricated?

And that gets us to the idea that the measles outbreak in Samoa is fake or unnatural.

Zach Vorhies spread the UNICEF vaccine conspiracy theory.
Zach Vorhies spread the UNICEF vaccine conspiracy theory.

Was the measles outbreak in Samoa started by shedding from vaccines sent by UNICEF in early October?

Folks who spread the UNICEF vaccine conspiracy leave out the fact that the first cases were in September...
Folks who spread the UNICEF vaccine conspiracy leave out the fact that the first cases were in September…

Wait, why did UNICEF start sending measles vaccines to Samoa in October?

Yeah, that’s right. The first cases were actually in September, triggered by visitor from New Zealand in August.

There were 22 dead children at the time, but Erin Marie RN, just for fun, was spreading the conspiracy theory that the epidemic was caused by a vaccine strain of measles.
There were 22 dead children at the time, but Erin Marie RN, just for fun, was spreading the conspiracy theory that the epidemic was caused by a vaccine strain of measles.

Anyway, the strain in Samoa is D8, not A as you would expect if it was a vaccine strain.

And the idea that the outbreak was fabricated by Merck to sell more vaccine?

Remember the CDC price list conspiracy?

That seems reminiscent of the CDC price list conspiracy that anti-vax folks were pushing last year…

UNICEF gets vaccines at a steep discount.
UNICEF gets vaccines at a steep discount.

No one is making any money on the vaccines being used in Samoa anyway.

Folks in Samoa put out a red flag to let vaccination teams know that they needed to get protected.
Folks in Samoa put out a red flag to let vaccination teams know that they needed to get protected.

But they are forcing people to get vaccinated, right?

Taylor Winterstein thinks Samoa is turning into Nazi Germany because they want to stop a measles epidemic...
Taylor Winterstein thinks Samoa is turning into Nazi Germany because they want to stop a measles epidemic…

Even those who have been made to think that the vaccines are toxic?

When folks turned away vaccination teams they weren't forced to get vaccinated...
When folks turned away vaccination teams they weren’t forced to get vaccinated…

Nope.

While there is a vaccine mandate, no one is being forced to get vaccinated.

Most were very happy to get vaccinated and protected!

What about the rogue strains of mutated measles that Bobby Kennedy warned the Prime Minister about?

They aren’t causing the measles epidemic in Samoa…

Jim Meehan doesn't think that the measles epidemic is natural...
Jim Meehan doesn’t think that the measles epidemic is natural…

Again, neither are vaccine strain measles.

Yes, let's get to the bottom of this and call out each and every person that is scaring parents away from vaccinating their kids in Samoa.
Yes, let’s get to the bottom of this and call out each and every person that is scaring parents away from vaccinating their kids in Samoa.

What about the idea that kids are only dying in Samoa because it is a third world country?

Well, it’s not. It is a developing country and more people with measles are dying everywhere, as we see more and more cases.

“This would be news if outbreaks of similar intensity occurred in first world countries, such as the United States or the European Union. But they don’t. Nor do they occur in a similar scale or severity. This means that hygiene, nutrition, refrigeration, and potable water—items many in the modern world take for granted—are the real delta between measles deaths in the Third World versus mild measles cases in the first, which come and go, and rarely result in fatalities.”

Measles Hysteria – from Samoa to the Congo

While we are lucky that there have been no measles deaths in the last few years in the United States, there have been 100s in Europe.

Can you blame the 8 measles deaths in Italy on poor nutrition?

And the deaths are not because kids have been getting Tylenol or not been given vitamin A.

Remember when our state Legislatures worked to protect us from infectious diseases, instead of trying to pass laws that make it easier for kids to skip or delay their vaccines? Remember the 55,622 cases of measles and 123 deaths in the United States measles epidemics between 1989 and 1991? Did we not have good hygiene and nutrition then?
Remember when our state Legislatures worked to protect us from infectious diseases, instead of trying to pass laws that make it easier for kids to skip or delay their vaccines? Remember the 55,622 cases of measles and 123 deaths in the United States measles epidemics between 1989 and 1991? Did we not have good hygiene and nutrition then?

It is because they are not vaccinated and not immune to measles!

This is the modern anti-vaccine movement.
This is the modern anti-vaccine movement.

Vaccines are safe, with few risks, and are very obviously necessary.

Don’t spread anti-vaccine propaganda that helps contribute to these kinds of outbreaks and epidemics.

More on Samoan Measles Epidemic Conspiracy Theories

The Timeline of the Measles Epidemic in Samoa

The timeline of the measles epidemic in Samoa seems fairly easy to understand.

Vaccination rates went down, the people in Samoa got caught up in the rise in measles cases and outbreaks happening all over the world, and they soon had a measles epidemic on their hands, with lots of kids dying.

In an outbreak situation, everyone who is not immune would need to get two doses of a measles containing vaccine and that's why you need 215,000 doses of measles vaccine... And despite what Sherri Tenpenny might think, everyone on Samoa is still not vaccinated yet.
In an outbreak situation, everyone who is not immune would need to get two doses of a measles containing vaccine and that’s why you need 215,000 doses of measles vaccine… And despite what Sherri Tenpenny might think, everyone on Samoa is still not vaccinated yet.

Unfortunately, anti-vaccine folks continue to exploit the tragedy, trying to make it sound like vaccines actually caused the epidemic.

“The Samoa Measles Appeal is being launched by the Government of Samoa to receive financial assistance from partners to support national efforts to contain the outbreak, to effectively treat people who contracted measles, and to achieve herd immunity for long term protection of the population.”

National Measles Response and Recovery Appeal

They are even making up conspiracy theories about the money the Government of Samoa is requesting to help control the epidemic and prevent future outbreaks.

The Timeline of the Measles Epidemic in Samoa

Maybe what is happening in Samoa isn’t so easy to understand…

Let’s give it a try!

To truly understand what is happening in Samoa, you have to go back a little further than when the epidemic started.

In fact, we have to go all of the way back to July 2018, when two young children died very shortly after getting their routine MMR vaccines. Although they died because of a mixup between the vaccine diluent and a powerful anesthetic, the tragic deaths led to the suspension of all vaccinations in the country.

Taylor Winterstein was planning an anti-vax workshop in Samoa in June.
Taylor Winterstein was planning an anti-vax workshop in Samoa in June.

And while the suspension was eventually reversed, they continued to hold MMR vaccinations for another nine months, until April 15, 2019.

Bobby Kennedy actually wrote a letter to the Prime Minister of Samoa on November 19th making every effort to blame the epidemic on a defective MMR vaccine, mutant measles strains, or vaccine strain measles.
Bobby Kennedy actually wrote a letter to the Prime Minister of Samoa on November 19th making every effort to blame the epidemic on a defective MMR vaccine, mutant measles strains, or vaccine strain measles.

Combine that with the efforts of anti-vax folks and it is easy to see how immunization rates in Samoa eventually tumbled to a low of just 30%!

What happened next?

On October 9, we got the first report of a measles case in Samoa and that it was related to a someone who visited from New Zealand for a conference at the end of August.

But by the time of that first report, at least 86 people had already been tested for suspected measles!

“Of the 28 specimens of suspected measles cases sent to Victorian Infectious Disease Reference Laboratory Melbourne, Australia on the 30th Sept 2019, twelve (12) results have been received over the week end. Of these twelve there were four confirmed cases; one adult and three children. All have been treated and discharged with no complications.

On the 2nd of October 2019, we sent another 8 specimens of suspected measles cases. Current results received this afternoon of these eight specimens sent revealed three new confirmed cases. Of these three positive cases, two were children under five years and 1 was an adult of 22 years old. All have been treated and discharged.

A total of seven confirmed cases have been reported to date. In anticipation, we now confirm a Measles Epidemic.”

Ministry of Health Press Release 1 – Measles Epidemic (October 16)

With that many cases already, it should be obvious that the measles outbreak in Samoa started in late September. That explains why UNICEF had begun to send measles vaccines and vitamin A to Samoa in early October.

Measles cases in Samoa began in September, which is why UNICEF began sending vaccines in October.
Wait. If the outbreak is caused by the vaccine strain (A genotype), why are folks testing positive for the D8 strain?

And that should put to rest the myth that this is some kind of unnatural, vaccine induced outbreak that got started because of the UNICEF vaccines.

“The deceased child of one year two months was admitted on the 8th October 2019 with a history of febrile convulsions, cough and skin rash typical of measles associated with severe dehydration. Verification of immunization status for this child revealed that he has not been vaccinated against measles.”

Ministry of Health Press Release 1 – Measles Epidemic

Tragically, we very soon saw the first measles death (October 15) in Samoa, an unvaccinated toddler. With continued cases, they soon declared a measles epidemic on October 16.

With continued cases and deaths, the Government of Samoa closed all preschools and daycare centers on October 31.

On November 8, they lowered the age to get the first dose MMR in Samoa to 6 months.

It wasn’t long before the Government of Samoa declared a full fledged state of emergency (November 15), closing schools, restricting children from gathering in public, and making vaccination mandatory.

“The outbreaks in Samoa and Tonga are caused by the D8 strain (genotype) of measles virus. Measles vaccine coverage varies in Pacific island countries and areas, ranging from 31% in Samoa to 99% in the Cook Islands, Nauru and Niue.”

Measles Outbreak in the Pacific – Situation Report No 1, 22 November, 2019

It was at this time that more help came from New Zealand, 12 nurses to help administer vaccines. Australia also soon sent a team of 34 doctors and nurses to help at Samoa’s main hospital in the capital Apia.

“Samoa’s government is warning anyone trying to discourage people from getting measles vaccinations to stop it.”

Measles Update: Samoa warns against anti-vaxxers; issues new emergency orders

And now, although there have been some roadblocks put up by anti-vaxxers both in and out of Samoa, with lots of help, they are hopefully getting their epidemic under control.

“As of December 6th, 2019, approximately 89% of all eligible people in Samoa have been vaccinated against measles.”

National Emergency Operation Centre: Update on the measles outbreak (Press Release 21) December 7, 2019

In fact, many people were vaccinated when the Government of Samoa shut down on December 5th and 6th.

“On 03/12, the Government announced that a nationwide mass vaccination will take place on Thursday and Friday (05 + 06/12) and all public services (excluding power and water, police, and health services) as well as the private sector (with few exceptions) will be shut down from 7 am – 5 pm to enforce the mass vaccination programme. Citizens were asked to stay at their residences and await the visit of mobile vaccination teams. There are 128 teams carrying out the mass vaccination campaign during this period.”

National Measles Response and Recovery Appeal, 6 December 2019

During the door to door mass vaccination campaign, families were told to stay home and hang red flags outside their homes if they needed to be vaccinated.

Photo courtesy of the Government of Samoa.
Photo courtesy of the Government of Samoa.

Amazingly, with all of the cases and deaths, some folks resisted and didn’t want to be vaccinated and protected.

Still wondering why some parents are scared and don't want their kids vaccinated?
Still wondering why some parents are scared and don’t want their kids vaccinated?

They turned the vaccination teams away!

So much for the idea of forced vaccination, right?

There have been 70 deaths in the measles epidemic in Samoa.
An update from Samoa on December 9th.

Most have gotten vaccinated and protected though.

They understand that while traditional healers might still be popular in Samoa, they can not be used for life-threatening diseases such as measles.

In addition to overloading kids with vitamin C, a traditional healer working with Jim Meehan was arrested for making many claims that scared people away from getting vaccinated and protected.
In addition to overloading kids with vitamin C, a traditional healer working with Jim Meehan was arrested on December 6 for making many claims that scared people away from getting vaccinated and protected.

So what’s next?

The measles epidemic in Samoa has greatly slowed down as most folks are now vaccinated and protected.
The measles epidemic in Samoa has greatly slowed down as most folks are now vaccinated and protected.

While it isn’t over yet, hopefully we are in the ending stages of their epidemic, as many people have now been vaccinated and protected with at least one dose of a measles containing vaccine.

And hopefully everyone has learned a big lesson and this epidemic will serve as a warning to everyone to vaccinate and protect their kids.

Samoan children should have been vaccinated and protected.
Samoan children should have been vaccinated and protected.

They have hopefully also learned to not listen to anti-vax folks, especially those who would try and exploit this kind of epidemic to push their propaganda.

More on the Measles Epidemic in Samoa

Jim Meehan Supporting a Farmer Helps Explain the Deaths in Samoa

In case you need to be caught up, there is a measles epidemic in Samoa and over 50 kids have already died.

While that easily dwarfs the number of deaths in many other countries, where there have been thousands of deaths, Samoa has been getting some extra attention because some of the blame rests with anti-vax influence on the island nation.

Taylor Winterstein compared the plan to vaccinate everyone against measles to stop the outbreak to Nazi Germany!

Samoa even got a visit from Bobby Kennedy last June!

Jim Meehan Supporting a Farmer Helps Explain the Deaths in Samoa

It is even more amazing that many of these folks have been doubling down on their anti-vax activism even as measles deaths have continued to climb.

Edwin Tamasese is an holistic healer in Samoa.
I wonder what Jim Meehan thinks caused those birth defects in Brazil…

It seems that Edwin Tamasese, a farmer in Samoa who is also described as a holistic healer, is being advised on how to treat kids with measles by James Meehan, an ophthalmologist in Oklahoma who now practices integrative and functional medicine.

How do either have the training or background to help sick kids in a measles epidemic?

That they don’t is easy to see from Meehan’s letter of support…

The last thing folks in Samoa need is advice from Jim Meehan!
The last thing folks in Samoa need is advice from Jim Meehan!

Wait, why would anyone vaccinate a child who was already infected with measles?

Probably because it is a part of routine measles postexposure prophylaxis guidelines. In fact, giving a dose of MMR within a few days of exposure to someone with measles can reduce their risk of getting sick with measles or of developing complications of measles.

Of course, you wouldn’t actually give the MMR vaccine to someone who was already sick with measles though. Instead of simply being infected with measles, that would be someone with measles disease.

Big difference!

Antibiotics don't treat viral infections, but they do treat secondary bacterial diseases and superinfections that often complicate measles infections.

There are no indications for antibiotics to treat uncomplicated viral diseases, unfortunately, secondary bacterial diseases can occur and do need to be treated.

“These results document that MV infection can suppress both innate and adaptive immune responses and lead to increased susceptibility to bacterial infection.”

Slifka et al on Measles virus infection results in suppression of both innate and adaptive immune responses to secondary bacterial infection

In fact, it is these secondary bacterial super-infections, including pneumonia and mastoiditis, that can make measles so deadly.

“Mortality from measles is predominantly caused by complicating bacterial infections.”

Factsheet about measles

It is a big reason that kids with measles, a viral infection, likely need to be treated with antibiotics.

It is typically only recommended that parents treat fever if their child is very uncomfortable.
It is typically only recommended that parents treat fever if their child is very uncomfortable.

Kids with measles typically have a high fever and are very irritable.

While we have been moving towards an approach of letting fevers run their course these days, in case fever does have some beneficial effects, there are also studies that have shown that in critically ill patients, fever is associated with increased mortality.

Measles is not mutating.
Mutating measles? Where have we heard that before?

Why do we genotype measles strains?

So that we know where outbreaks originated from.

Unlike some other infections, the genotype doesn’t help you figure out whether or not the vaccine will work against it. Measles is a monotypic virus. The MMR vaccine protects against all measles strains.

“The outbreaks in Samoa and Tonga are caused by the D8 strain (genotype) of measles virus.”

Measles Outbreak in the Pacific – Situation Report No 2, 26 November 2019

An no, for the millionth time, 38% of the measles cases in the Disneyland outbreak were not caused by the vaccine strain!

Those folks with the vaccine strain were the ones who were recently vaccinated and had a “febrile rash illness,” a common side effect of the vaccine.

They did not have measles!

While vaccinating someone who is truly immunosuppressed with a live vaccine is contraindicated, it seems like Meehan thinks that most of the folks on Samoa are immunosuppressed and shouldn’t be vaccinated!

The kids are dying because they aren't vaccinated and protected!
Not the measles virus??? The kids are dying because they aren’t vaccinated and protected!

There is a state of emergency in Samoa that has closed schools, banned public gatherings, and mandated vaccines, as they attempt to get their measles epidemic under control. They are also getting help from UNICEF, the New Zealand Red Cross, UK’s Emergency Medical Team (UK EMT), the Australian Medical Assistance Team (AUSMAT), and the New Zealand Medical Assistance Team (NZMAT).

More help is coming from the CDC and the EUCPM.

How much vitamin C are the kids on Tamasese's protocol getting?
How much vitamin C are these kids getting? 3000mg? 5000mg? Since too much vitamin C causes diarrhea and nausea, how much will they take “until stomach runs?” Diarrhea and dehydration are already complications of measles…

They do not need folks like Tamasese and Meehan interfering with these efforts because they think they can do it better, even as they scare parents away from vaccinating and protecting their kids – the one thing that will end the epidemic.

It should be noted that as much as anti-vax folks are crowing about Tamasese and Meehan’s efforts to get kids vitamin A, their protocol severely under doses kids!

The WHO has a protocol for giving kids high doses of vitamin A when they have measles.
The WHO has a protocol for giving kids high doses of vitamin A when they have measles.

Anyway, mega doses of vitamin A are most helpful in reducing mortality in hospitalized kids with measles. It is also important to keep in mind that vitamin A only reduces mortality – it doesn’t eliminate it. Vitamin A is not a cure for measles.

And the mega doses of vitamin C they are giving aren’t going to help prevent complications. They are just giving the kids diarrhea, which is not a good thing if they might already be malnourished!

What’s the biggest takeaway from the Samoa epidemic?

As we see more measles, we will see more people die with measles.

Measles is deadly.

This type of anti-vax propaganda is the reason that parents might think that vaccines are toxic...
This type of anti-vax propaganda is the reason that parents might think that vaccines are toxic…

Get vaccinated and protected with two doses of MMR and prevent these outbreaks.

More on Jim Meehan and Samoa

The Measles Epidemic in Samoa

The measles epidemic in Samoa isn’t the worst we have seen lately.

There are now 53 deaths in the Samoa measles epidemic.

Although everyone is now talking about Samoa, let’s remember that there has been a rise in measles cases all over the world and that there have been:

And most of those deaths have been in children.

The Measles Epidemic in Samoa

Measles is on the rise.

Not surprisingly, deaths from measles are also on the rise.

UNICEF delivered vaccines and sufficient supplies of vitamin A to Samoa back in October.
UNICEF delivered vaccines and sufficient supplies of vitamin A to Samoa back in October.

What’s different about Samoa is that they continue to be targeted by anti-vax folks, even as it is easy to see that anti-vaccine messaging helped contribute to this measles epidemic.

Anti-vaccine fears helped fuel the Samoa measles epidemic.

Sure, the recent mistake involving the nurses who incorrectly mixed up the MMR vaccine with an anesthetic instead of the proper diluent didn’t help, but anti-vax folks exploited that tragedy to scare parents even more.

Bobby Kennedy visited Samoa in June...
Bobby Kennedy visited Samoa in June…

So we now have a measles epidemic and low vaccination rates in a poor, developing country, with limited health care services.

Anti-vaxxers often ask if anyone died when there is an outbreak...
Anti-vaxxers often ask if anyone died when there is an outbreak…

And a lot of measles deaths as they struggle to get the epidemic under control by closing schools and banning public gatherings, and starting a compulsory, mass vaccination campaign.

Taylor Winterstein's anti-vaccine talking points sound all too familiar.
Taylor Winterstein‘s anti-vaccine talking points sound all too familiar.

A vaccination campaign that anti-vax folks are saying is somehow turning Samoa into Nazi Germany…

Scaring parents away from vaccinating and protecting their kids in the middle of a deadly epidemic is not only dangerous, it's immoral.
Scaring parents away from vaccinating and protecting their kids in the middle of a deadly epidemic is not only dangerous, it’s immoral.

As anti-vax folks double down, even as kids die in these epidemics, know that you can help stop them by no longer spreading their propaganda and instead choosing to support vaccine advocacy groups.

Send an international wire transfer from your bank to the BSP GOS Direct Transfer Fund Account to help their Measles Emergency Operations.
Send an international wire transfer from your bank to the BSP GOS Direct Transfer Fund Account to help their Measles Emergency Operations.

And consider donating to Samoa’s Measles Emergency Options and the organizations that are helping control this epidemic, including UNICEF and the New Zealand Red Cross.

Mostly remember that in addition to working to control these epidemics, we can prevent them if more people get vaccinated and protected. After all, measles is a vaccine-preventable disease.

More on the Measles Epidemic in Samoa