Measles and the Anti-Vaccine Movement

For most of the public, measles is thought of as a historical disease that causes few problems today or is tied to a warning by one’s pediatrician. Measles was cured with a vaccine long ago. However, due Andrew Wakefield’s 1998 flawed scientific study of the MMR vaccine in The Lancet and subsequent social-media driven dissemination of information about the “link” between the Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR) Vaccine and Autism Spectrum Disorder, the anti-vaccination movement has been bolstered in contemporary society. The subsequent anti-vaccine movement is not satisfied with only attacking the MMR vaccine, moreover, but now denounces all types of vaccination. The result is a major public health problem. This paper connects Wakefield’s work with contemporary anti-vaccine views, which have played a significant role in increased rates of measles outbreaks today. A discussion on the growing influence of social media in the anti-vaccine movement will also be discussed. The history, signs and symptoms, treatment modalities, and epidemiological information of measles will be given