A number of years in the past, Dr. David Gorski coined the phrase “every thing outdated is new once more” to explain how contrarian medical doctors completely parroted what “old style” anti-vaxxers mentioned about measles and the MMR. None of their arguments towards the COVID vaccine had been new or authentic, no less than to these of us who cared concerning the anti-vaccine motion earlier than the pandemic, and tried to warn of its menace. It was very clear to us acknowledged that myths unfold by anti-vaxxers to reduce measles had been being recycled by contrarian medical doctors to reduce COVID.
Now, measles is again. Thanks partially to the efforts of contrarian medical doctors, RFK Jr. is making an attempt to cease it with vitamin A and cod liver oil. He’s not getting on digicam urging vaccinations. As measles spreads, the anti-vaccine motion is ready, emboldened, and empowered. Revered medical doctors from revered universities amplified their concepts and made them mainstream. At the moment myths unfold by contrarian medical doctors to reduce COVID are being recycled by anti-vaxxers to reduce measles.
The anti-vaccine circle is full.
Little one that died in Texas apparently had pneumonia and RSV and phrase is that they vaccinated whereas sick for measles.
In August 2021, because the Delta variant ripped by way of the nation, Dr. Tracy Beth Høeg regarded a random information fluctuations and determined to “simply ask questions” about whether or not SARS-CoV-2 was actually hurting youngsters. To attenuate COVID, she advised that RSV was filling up pediatric hospitals and that incompetent pediatricians had been misdiagnosing their sufferers. I debunked that fable right here.
At the moment, anti-vaxxers are claiming that the kid who died of measles in Texas, really died of RSV.
Until youngsters have underlying situations or are malnourished, measles in not an issue.
With COVID, Dr. Marty Makary unfold the parable that there was a “mortality charge of zero amongst youngsters with out a pre-existing medical situation reminiscent of leukemia.” I debunked that fable right here.
At the moment, anti-vaxxers are claiming that measles is innocent for wholesome youngsters. Though anti-vaxxers don’t appear to acknowledge this, youngsters with underlying medical situations additionally are beloved and have worth.
The 6yr outdated didn’t die from measles. She died as a result of the hospital refused to present her respiratory therapies.
As a result of he couldn’t utter the phrases “I underestimated COVID”, Dr. John Ioannidis determined to throw frontline medical doctors underneath the bus. He mentioned lives had been misplaced in 2020 as a result of medical doctors had been “simply going loopy, and intubating individuals who didn’t should be intubated”. They, not COVID, had been responsible for the demise of their sufferers. I debunked that fable right here.
Although they now blame the shortage of “respiratory therapies,” anti-vaxxers are once more blaming medical doctors, not measles, for the demise of the kid in Texas. On this universe, medical doctors are deadlier than measles and COVID.
Did the kid die with measles or from measles?
One other method Dr. Ioannidis used to reduce COVID was to assert that folks had been dying with COVID not from COVID. In a single typical interview he mentioned:
It’s very troublesome to distinguish between deaths by SARS-CoV-2 and deaths with SARS-CoV-2. Since we had near 99% of individuals dying produce other causes which will have contributed to their demise, it’s very troublesome to dissociate and say that these individuals particularly died as a result of they had been contaminated.
Solely somebody who by no means labored in a hospital would say something that absurd, and I debunked that fable right here.
Now, anti-vaxxers are once more claiming that youngsters die with measles, not from measles.
I don’t keep in mind measles circumstances (which occur yearly) being breathless nationwide information in earlier years. Does the media know youngsters are dying from power illnesses (not measles.)
Despite the fact that COVID hospitalized 234,000 youngsters, Dr. Vinay Prasad tried to reduce it by claiming it was “breathless, fear-mongering” created by the information. He portrayed anybody who wasn’t apathetic to sick youngsters as each hysterical and detached to different dangers. I mentioned this deceptive method right here.
Now anti-vaxxers are claiming measles is a creation of “breathless” of the information and that anybody who disagrees doesn’t care about “power illnesses.”
For kids, getting sick and recovering is a part of a pure and wholesome life.
Together with Allison Krug, Dr. Prasad additionally argued that COVID was “pure and wholesome” for youngsters to contract COVID and that it was “reckless” to forestall infections. Their article Ought to We Let Youngsters Catch Omicron? was written throughout the deadliest wave of the pandemic for youngsters, and it mentioned:
In the case of infectious illness, normality means a world the place they’re routinely uncovered to, and overcome, viral sickness. For kids, getting sick and recovering is a part of a pure and wholesome life…
Mother and father should contemplate that exposures are how we finest shield our youngsters towards the variants of the long run. In reality, it’s reckless to let youngsters age right into a extra severe encounter with a illness finest handled whereas youthful.
I debunked the parable that COVID is wholesome for youngsters right here.
At the moment, authorities are asking mother and father to not maintain “measles events”. They consider that for youngsters, getting sick and recovering is a part of a pure and wholesome life
Certainly, every thing outdated is new once more, once more. Nonetheless, past utilizing similar language and strategies to mislead their viewers, there isn’t any elementary distinction between somebody who minimizes COVID and somebody who minimizes measles. Grieving mother and father aren’t targeted on which specific virus killed or injured their baby. It’s a tragedy any time a baby suffers as a result of their mother and father had been tricked by anti-vaxxers.
This didn’t was once controversial in drugs.