by Gertrud U. Rey The number of measles cases is steadily increasing across the United States, especially in areas with low vaccination rates. Instead of recommending that children be vaccinated with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to promote ideas that are rooted …
by Gertrud U. Rey During the first few months of life, residual maternal antibodies that crossed the placenta during gestation and antibodies from breast milk protect infants from infection with various microbes. This type of immune protection is known as “passive immunity,” and differs from “active immunity,” which develops in an individual following vaccination or …
by Gertrud U. Rey Recent news headlines have been featuring multiple outbreaks of measles across the globe, and an announcement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dated January 25, 2024, also reported 23 confirmed cases in the US over the past month. These outbreaks happen every few years and are usually triggered by …
by Gertrud U. Rey In 1998, a British doctor named Andrew Wakefield published a paper in the British journal The Lancet. In this paper, Wakefield implied that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine may cause developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The paper received wide publicity, and subsequently, MMR vaccination rates began …
Measles virus does not just cause a rash – it can kill, up to 100,000 people each year. And there are many related viruses circulating in other animals that are not far from being able to infect human cells.
Susana López, Martha Yocupicio, Selene Zárate, virologists from Mexico, together with graphic illustrator Eva Lobatón, have teamed up to produce Paul Has Measles, a children’s book about viruses and vaccines. Paul Has Measles is available as a free pdf in 16 languages. It may also be purchased as a Kindle or paperback edition at Amazon: English …
