As Europe sees cases of measles reach a record high, the discussion around vaccination rates has risen anew. Some believe that a decrease in vaccination rates has lead to this surge in cases of a disease previously thought to be under control, but is once again claiming lives.
Measles Is Making An Unwelcome Comeback
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Europe’s measles cases have skyrocketed to a record high, claiming 37 lives since January. With more than 41,000 cases reported in this same time frame a future free from measles is beginning to seem like a wistful pipe dream.
In 2017 the number was lower at 23,297 cases, but the sudden upsurge is most effectively framed by the fact that in 2016 there was only 5,273 cases. That’s a staggering 677.55% increase in measles cases in two years, and that’s not the only thing that’s rising. The death count from measles was 49 people in Europe in 2016 and 2017. Halfway through 2018 and already the death toll is just 12 people shy of that. Romania, Italy, France and Greece have been rather severely affected. Italy’s upper house of parliament has recently voted through to abolish mandatory vaccination for children before they attend school. This will now lift the fine for parents who fail to vaccinate their children. But the problem is spreading.
In England there have been 807 cases so far this year,
with Public Health England saying these outbreaks are due largely in part to people who have travelled to parts of mainland Europe suffering outbreaks. Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at Public Health England, has said:
“We have seen a number of measles outbreaks in England which are linked to ongoing large outbreaks in Europe.
“The majority of cases we are seeing are in teenagers and young adults who missed out on their MMR vaccine when they were children.
“Anyone who missed out on their MMR vaccine in the past or are unsure if they had two doses should contact their GP practice to catch up.
“We would encourage people to ensure they are up to date with their MMR vaccine before travelling to countries with ongoing measles outbreaks, heading to large gatherings such as festivals, or before starting university.”
The WHO is now calling on the EU to take action.
So why is this happening?
Decreasing Vaccination Rates
A discredited report published by Dr. Andrew Wakefield in 1998 claiming to prove a link between the MMR vaccine and autism is thought to still be harming public health today, as many believe this report has caused the drop in MMR vaccination rates. Despite there being no solid corroboration for this theory, and a wealth of evidence to the contrary, some parents are still choosing not to vaccinate their children for fear of their child developing autism as a result, and it is having deadly consequences. In a report published by the Cochrane Library – based upon information gathered “from five randomised controlled trials (RCTs), one controlled clinical trial (CCT), 27 cohort studies, 17 case‐control studies, five time‐series trials, one case cross‐over trial, two ecological studies, six self controlled case series studies involving in all about 14,700,000 children and assessing effectiveness and safety of MMR vaccine” – it was concluded that one dose of the MMR vaccine is at least 95% effective in preventing clinical measles. The 1998 report looked at just 12 children.
This report has now been fully retracted by ‘The Lancet’ medical journal, as Dr. Wakefield has since been found guilt of ethical, medical and scientific misconduct by the General Medical Council. By 2004 10 of the 12 original co-authors had even issued a formal retraction over the interpretation of a causal link between the MMR vaccine and the development. But it isn’t this vital truth that people hold onto, it is the feelings of distrust and danger that they now associate with the MMR vaccine. All because of the inescapable media attention one fraudulent and dangerous truth received so many years ago.
Experts are warning how dangerous it could be for children if this ignorance surrounding vaccines continues, as they call for vaccination rates to increase, and save lives. Dr Andrea Ammon, director of the European Centre for Disease Control said in a January 2018 ECDC article:
“It is tragic and unacceptable that 49 children and adults in EU countries have died from complications of measles infection in the past 2 years, while safe and effective vaccines are readily available”.
She continued,
“Vaccination with at least two doses of MMR vaccine remains the most effective measure to prevent the further spread of measles. ECDC is committed to further work with Member States in support of their efforts to eliminate measles, particularly through its core functions of surveillance, scientific advice, preparedness and response, and communication.”
And her comments are not made without basis. Of all measles cases reported between 1 December 2016 and 30 November 2017 in EU/EEA countries, 87% of victims were not vaccinated. This disease now has a mortality rate of just over 1 in 1000 cases, utterly lunacy in the face of the fact that we have a widely available and highly successful vaccine at our fingertips.
Misinformation and mistrust is claiming the lives of the young and the vulnerable in more and more countries, and nothing is being done to stop it. If the media covered the retraction of that fateful 1998 report with the same gleeful determination they spread its lies then maybe we wouldn’t be seeing this preventable disease reemerge. A joyous victory had been won over this terrible illness, but, sadly, it has since been retracted.
- by Eleanor Service, Editor-In-Chief
- Sources: European Centre for Disease Control, The Cochrane Library, New York Times, NHS, bmj, BBC
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