In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the myth that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread. Examples include measles, COVID, flu, and polio.
A number of posts discussed Trump's support for the discredited notion.
Another leading anti-vaxxer is presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. He has repeatedly compared vaccine mandates to the Holocaust. Rolling Stone and Salon retracted an RFK article linking vaccines to autism. He is part of the "Disinformation Dozen." He helped cause a deadly 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa.
He is now Trump's secretary of HHS. Trump has directed him to investigate autism.
Nearly 230 cases have been identified in Texas and New Mexico, and one person has died — the first measles death in the US since 2015. New Mexico officials are also investigating the cause of death of an unvaccinated person who tested positive for measles. Cases have been reported in several other states, including California, New York and Georgia.
1️⃣ Inside the outbreak: A sparsely populated county in western Texas is the epicenter of a measles outbreak the likes of which hasn’t been seen in more than 30 years. The tight-knit — and largely unvaccinated — Mennonite community that farms much of this land is at the root of the rapid spread, officials say.
2️⃣ CDC on the scene: A team from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention arrived in Texas last week to help with the response. The school-age child who died was not vaccinated and had no underlying health conditions.
3️⃣ Tracking the cases: Recent outbreaks of measles in the US are driving up case counts and raising alarm among public health experts, especially as vaccination rates among children lag. CNN is monitoring the numbers.
4️⃣ RFK Jr.’s role: His response has focused on unconventional treatments such as vitamin A, a steroid and an antibiotic. Doctors say they’re concerned about misinformation circulating online, while Kennedy says he believes vaccination is a personal decision.
5️⃣ What’s next: With vaccination rates declining, experts worry about the preventable illnesses we could see in the future. Here’s what you should know about measles, and CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains how worried you should be in his podcast.
