Rising Threat Of Misinformation Surrounding Measles Vaccinations Must Be Countered By Doctors, Officials Testify

"We shouldn't be criticizing people who get this information that's false because they may not know it's false," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, infectious disease chief at the National Institutes of Health, during a House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Experts testifying stressed the importance of public health officials and doctors combating that false information and said outbreaks such as the one in the Northwest are "really unacceptable."

Modern Healthcare: Health Officials, Lawmakers Take Aim At False Measles Vaccine Claims
Public health officials say the spread of misinformation about the safety and efficacy of vaccines has fueled a series of measles outbreaks across the country. There have been more than 159 cases in 10 states since January. Testifying before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, called false information distributed through social media about the use of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine a 'threat' to public health that could only be counteracted with a sustained public education effort. (Johnson, 2/27)

The Associated Press: How 'Completely Avoidable' Measles Cases Continue To Climb
The U.S. has counted more measles cases in the first two months of this year than in all of 2017 — and part of the rising threat is misinformation that makes some parents balk at a crucial vaccine, federal health officials told Congress Wednesday. Yet the vaccine is hugely effective and very safe — so the rise of measles cases "is really unacceptable," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, infectious disease chief at the National Institutes of Health. (2/27)

The Washington Post: Texas State Rep. Bill Zedler Suggests Antibiotics Treat Measles
Amid a relentless anti-vaccine movement and measles outbreaks across the United States, a Texas lawmaker has falsely suggested that antibiotics can be used to treat the deadly childhood disease. Texas state Rep. Bill Zedler (R), an anti-vaxxer who is promoting legislation to allow parents to more easily opt out of vaccinations for their children, said he had measles when he was a child. "When I grew up, I had a lot of these illnesses,” Zedler recalled, according to the Texas Observer. “They wanted me to stay at home. But as far as being sick in bed, it wasn’t anything like that.” (Bever, 2/27)

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