So far, the response to the two measles deaths in Pennsylvania is as expected.
At least we are seeing the expected responses from anti-vaccine influencers.
The Response to the Two Measles Deaths in Pennsylvania
What kind of responses?
Well, we have folks like Dr. Joel Gator, the pediatrician who is supposedly neither pro, nor anti-vaccine, but jumped in to minimize the measles deaths as soon as they were announced.
That’s how they move the goalposts from “there have been no measles deaths” to “there have only been a few measles deaths…”
Most of the other responses will be on shifting the blame on their deaths being from the fact that they were unvaccinated and had a life-threatening infection, to saying they died because they had comorbidities or because they didn’t get proper care.
That despite the very simple fact that there is no cure for measles and its complications, and that even with the best supportive care, people can die.
What else?
We are seeing lots of anti-vaccine influencers repeating propaganda about measles and the MMR vaccine that has already been refuted a thousand times already.
For example, the idea that measles vaccines cause more deaths than measles?
To make their little chart and scare people, they exaggerate vaccine deaths and minimize deaths from actually having measles!
How?
Their vaccine deaths are just VAERS reports, and so include many deaths that were not caused by a vaccine!
But even if they were real, considering how many doses of the MMR vaccine have been given, it would come out to about 5-6 VAERS deaths per 10 million doses.
And they leave out a lot of measles deaths, including deaths from SSPE, a late complication of measles.
Other Responses to the Two Measles Deaths in Pennsylvania
That’s not all, of course.
As expected, someone brought up the Brady Bunch measles episode, even though 40 people died with measles the year that episode aired…
And of course, there are the people who think that the measles deaths are made up!
Or they are making up stuff about who died!
The two people who died were not in their late 80s!
“The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) today confirmed two measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania. Both individuals were unvaccinated. These mark the first deaths related to measles within the Commonwealth in 35 years…
DOH confirmed both individuals were unvaccinated residents of Lancaster County. To protect the privacy of the individuals and their families, DOH will not release any additional details that could personally identify these individuals and their families.”
Pennsylvania Department of Health Confirms Two Measles-Associated Deaths
In fact, not surprisingly, none of the cases in the Pennsylvania outbreak have been in adults that old…
Not surprisingly, because nearly all older adults would have had measles when they were younger, when measles was endemic. They would be immune, or they would not have survived having measles…
Of course, it is very easy to see why anti-vaccine influencers are trying so hard to make you think that these deaths aren’t important.
After all, a measles death creates cognitive dissonance for someone who pushes the idea that measles is harmless and that vaccines are dangerous or aren’t necessary.
Cognitive dissonance which can only be resolved by changing their beliefs—or by minimizing, dismissing, or explaining away the death.
And after a measles death, you can see how most anti-vaccine influencers choose to deal with their cognitive dissonance…
Hopefully it also helps you see why they should be ignored and why you should get vaccinated to help stop the outbreaks.
More on Measles Deaths
All of Those Posts About No Measles Deaths This Year Have Not Aged Well
Anti-Vaccine Influencers Are Waiting for Someone With Measles to Die
When Measles Doesn’t Kill You, It Can Still Leave You Weaker
Is the Measles Death Rate in Children Only 1 in 106 Million?
Moving the Goalposts When Talking About Measles Cases and Deaths
You Are Far More Likely to Die From the Disease Than the Vaccine That You Skipped