(Don Rauf/ Everyday Health) — Measles, a highly contagious disease that was considered eliminated in this country in 2000, is making a comeback. Outbreaks have been reported this year in New York, Texas, and Washington State, as well as in Canada and overseas. The underlying reason for the uptick appears to be fear and misinformation about vaccination, much of it spread through social media.
Most measles cases occur among unvaccinated individuals, despite the existence of a highly effective vaccine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one dose of measles vaccine is about 93 percent effective at preventing the disease, and two doses are 97 percent effective in people exposed to the virus. Yet the anti-vaccination debate rages on.
“There’s a lot of misinformation going on in social media, and some of it looks pretty sophisticated and almost scientific, but it’s really horrible misinformation,” says Alan Melnick, MD, the public health director for Clark County, Washington. (…)