Chris Christie and Rand Paul: Politics Trump Scientific Evidence About Measles

The Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie (R) and the junior Senator from Kentucky, Rand Paul (3), recently surprised us by their irresponsible, possibly ignorant, positions about whether parents’ opinions about measles vaccine should override over 50 years of research, immunization practice, and adverse reaction surveillance. The public health field is virtually unanimous in their view that children should be vaccinated against measles, an extremely contagious disease. Measles is much more contagious than chickenpox, influenza, tuberculosis, or other airborne diseases. In 1958, over 750,000 children in the US were diagnosed with measles, and 552 children died from measles. By 2012, only 55 children were diagnosed with measles, and none of them died. Nonetheless, it is still a serious disease; approximately 20% of those diagnosed with measles in 2014 required hospitalization. Measles can lead to pneumonia or encephalitis. The CDC estimates that one or two out of 1000 children with measles will die. In January 2015 alone, 55 children were diagnosed with measles; 12 infants under a year of age have already been linked to the Disney World outbreak. Children’s safety and the safety of others in the community rests on continued efforts of politicians, parents, and the public health field to ensure the vaccination of children.

Measles is much more contagious than chickenpox, influenza, tuberculosis, or other airborne diseases.

There is no realistic question about whether the measles vaccination program, which began in 1963 has been successful – it is one of the most impressive achievements of public health. We have all benefitted from these programs, and can barely imagine the lives of our grandparents who watched their healthy children suffer or die from measles, rubella, Haemophilus influenza – type B (HIB), pertussis, polio, and other now rare diseases. The Wall Street Journal graphs effectively show the remarkable decreases in vaccine preventable diseases through time. Those who long for the “good old days” and who want “my country back” should think carefully about what life was like for parents in the pre-vaccination decades, not so very long ago.

Measles Incidence by Year 1954 - 2008 from CDC data

The recent uncomfortable and shameful answers to questions about measles vaccination by Chris Christie and Rand Paul are part of a much broader, dangerous determination from many to ignore science. We have to wonder why Christie a lawyer, or Rand, an ophthalmologist could know more than infectious disease specialists, epidemiologists, and other public health officials. Some say Paul should know something about this as a physician, but he is an eye doctor. You should ask him about cataracts or retinal tears. Do not consider him an expert in diseases. No one with meningitis or salmonella would call an eye doctor for help. Rand Paul himself surely would not trust another ophthalmologist to treat infectious diseases for his own children.

Politicians have the responsibility to treat these topics carefully. Fostering conspiracy theories adds to the confusion well-meaning parents can face after hearing these crazy theories from other government doubting bloggers and light weight talk show hosts. The politician may calculate how such statements impact fund raising or votes, but they and we should also calculate how such statement hurt babies, the elderly and the immune-weakened public.

Rand Paul himself surely would not trust another ophthalmologist to treat infectious diseases for his own children.

As skepticism about science is congratulated by some on the right, and as leaders pander to the scientific no-nothing audience claiming that parents own their children and have the right to put them (and others in the community) at risk, we allow babies and children to die unnecessary deaths. The children who get sick and die will not just be those whose parents have not understood the merits of vaccination. The parents of babies and kids too young to have received vaccine (under 1 year) or to have received full vaccine (under 5 years). Some of these parents may also be politicians who did not calculate the effect their words can have health of their own babies.

It is not just measles, but we have recently heard Rep Mo Brooks (R- Alabama) purposefully deny science and community health benefits as he blamed illegal immigrants for outbreaks while ignoring our own practices for requiring vaccination in public schools; have seen as Rick Perry, Bobby Jindal, and Ted Cruz and other Republican leaders try to prevent heroic Americans working to eradicate Ebola in West Africa from returning to the US; , and were stunned as Sen Thom Tillis (R- North Carolina) as he criticized public health programs that require food handlers to wash or disinfect their hands after using the bathroom.

Scientists, parents, and members of the media should demand that politicians shut up about what they do not know or help their constituents by advocating for the well-established, well researched public health truths.