To halt measles’ resurgence we must fight the plague of misinformation

In a shocking turn of events that has sent ripples through the scientific community, the world is grappling with a resurgence of measles, a disease once thought to be on the brink of eradication. This alarming trend can be traced back to a fraudulent study published in 1998, which falsely claimed a link between the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism. The fallout from this study has been catastrophic, with six countries, including the UK, Spain, and Austria, losing their measles-free status according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The consequences of this misinformation are far-reaching and devastating. In the United States, the country is battling its worst measles outbreak in decades. The situation has become so dire that the US was on the verge of losing its measles-free status, a distinction it narrowly retained by withdrawing from the WHO.

Measles, one of the most contagious viruses known to humanity, poses a severe threat to public health. The disease causes severe complications in approximately one in five children, including breathing difficulties, deafness, blindness, and brain swelling that can lead to permanent brain damage. In 2024 alone, measles claimed the lives of about 95,000 people globally, according to WHO estimates.

But the true toll of measles extends far beyond these immediate fatalities. The virus has a devastating and long-term effect on the immune system, killing off some of the very cells that protect us against other infections. This immune system damage can last for up to five years, leaving individuals vulnerable to a host of other diseases and complications.

Fortunately, measles has a weakness that scientists have exploited to create an effective vaccine. The virus first infects immune cells and travels to the lymph nodes before spreading more widely throughout the body. This convoluted route provides multiple opportunities for our immune system to intercept the virus before it can cause widespread infection.

The MMR vaccine capitalizes on this vulnerability, offering robust protection against measles. Numerous studies have unequivocally demonstrated that children are much better off being vaccinated than not, and that there is absolutely no link between the MMR vaccine and autism. In fact, when the MMR vaccine was withdrawn in Japan, it had no impact whatsoever on the incidence of autism, providing compelling evidence against any causal relationship.

However, the highly contagious nature of measles means that at least 95% of children must be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity and prevent the virus from spreading. This high threshold for vaccination coverage makes measles particularly susceptible to resurgence when vaccination rates drop even slightly.

Globally, the picture is mixed. While the proportion of children receiving a first dose of the measles vaccine rose from 71% in 2000 to 84% in 2010, progress has stalled in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a slight dip in vaccination rates, but these have since recovered. The WHO estimates that between 2000 and 2024, measles vaccination averted 60 million deaths globally – a monumental public health achievement.

Unfortunately, the situation in wealthy countries is deteriorating. Following the false claims made in 1998, MMR uptake levels plummeted to as low as 80% in England and Wales. Although vaccination rates recovered to above 90% by 2013, they have been slowly declining ever since. In the UK, this recent decline is partly attributed to increased difficulty for parents in getting their children vaccinated – an issue that demands urgent attention and resolution.

The resurgence of the anti-vaccination movement in many countries is undoubtedly exacerbating the problem. This issue has become increasingly intertwined with right-wing extremism and is being actively promoted on certain social media platforms. A stark illustration of this phenomenon can be observed when comparing search results for “MMR measles” on different platforms. While Bluesky yields no anti-vaccination posts in its top results, a similar search on X (formerly Twitter) reveals a plethora of ludicrous anti-vaccination nonsense.

The current landscape of social media, dominated by billionaire owners with ties to political figures known for spreading misinformation, presents a formidable challenge in combating vaccine disinformation. The appointment of an anti-vaccination advocate as the health secretary of the world’s richest country further complicates efforts to promote evidence-based public health policies.

This battle against misinformation extends far beyond vaccines. Climate science is another critical area where falsehoods and conspiracy theories threaten to drown out scientific consensus and evidence-based policymaking. Governments across Europe and beyond must take a more proactive stance in controlling the information ecosystem, finding innovative ways to amplify sound science while silencing the purveyors of dangerous pseudoscience.

The stakes could not be higher. The future of humanity itself hangs in the balance as we grapple with the consequences of allowing misinformation to spread unchecked. It is imperative that we act swiftly and decisively to combat this threat to public health and scientific integrity.