Thread by @drfixus

Thread:
Lets recap the real #SamoaMeasles story, shall we?
🔴 June 2018, nurse mixes #MMR vaccine w paralyzing med instead of sterile water
🔴2 babies die
🔴Rumors spread that MMR caused deaths
🔴Scared parents stop vaccinating and immunization rate plummets

🔴July 2018 US antivaxxer @delbigtree shares false story on @HighWireTalk stating deaths were due to #MMR vaccine
🔴June 2019 US antivaxxer @RobertKennedyJr visits #Samoa to reinforce that falsehood
🔴By Oct 2019 Samoan immunization rate is 31%

🔴Oct 2019 infectious traveler from New Zealand arrives on Samoa, starting outbreak
🔴Nov 15 Samoa declares state of emergency and begins mass vaccination
🔴Nov 17 Samoa shuts down schools indefinitely
🔴Nov 18 1,000 cases, 16 dead (mostly young children), 114 new cases in 24h

🔴Nov 19 US antivaxxer and Senator @RobertKennedyJr sends letter to Samoan PM again spreading falsehood that outbreak is from #MMR vaccine
🔴Nov 25: 2200 cases, 25 dead (24 young children), 20 in ICU, 140 new cases in 24h
🔴Dec 2: 3700 cases, 53 dead

🔴Dec 4: #Samoa shuts down government so more can help w door-to-door vaccination, tells all to remain at home
🔴 Simona Marinescu, the UN resident coordinator for the region, called the outbreak "one of the greatest challenges that this country experienced in its recent history

🔴Dec 6: 89% of eligible ppl have been immunized
🔴 Samoan anti-vaccine campaigner arrested after he reportedly ignored a written warning to stop his activities.
🔴US antivaxxers swamp Samoan Govt website with antivax propaganda

🔴Samoan govt estimates cost of $10.8M to control #SamoaMeasles outbreak
🔴Dec 7: 4460 cases, 65 dead, 103 new cases in last 24h. New Zealand sends child coffins

The #SamoaMeasles outbreak was caused by rumors that scared parents into choosing not to vaccinate their kids, followed by a NZ traveler bringing #measles to the island.

#MMR does NOT make people infectious w measles. MEASLES makes ppl infectious with measles.

#SamoaMeasles was not caused by moms being vaccinated w #MMR vaccine. Maternal antibodies passed to the infant are GONE by 6mo. #Measles was caused by ACTUAL MEASLES. @RobertKennedyJr please stick to environmental law as you don’t understand medicine.

#SamoaMeasles genotype is that of the wild strain, not the vaccine strain. We know this because PCR testing doesn’t lie (unlike antivaxxers)

#SamoaMeasles wasn’t caused by defective @Merck vaccine. It was caused by ACTUAL MEASLES

@RobertKennedyJr it’s my understanding that you’ve done some really great work within your field of expertise— environmental law.
On the other hand, your attempt to practice medicine w/o a license has resulted in children dying from #measles.
You should stick w what you know.

#SamoaMeasles will go on for weeks, perhaps months more. Outbreak won’t be over until 42 days from the last infectious case. Hundreds are likely still incubating.

Antivaxxers, “vaccine risk aware”ers, “vaccine woke”rs, “read the insert”ers, “do your research”ers, “just take vitamin A”ers, are killing kids with their internet words while #PublicHealth works on the ground to stop ppl from dying.

You are not “woke”. You are dangerous.

Correction NOT Senator #PraiseTheLord

Dec 9 #SamoaMeasles update:
4693 cases
112 in the past 24h
159 currently in hospital
70 deaths, most <4yo

#Measles is serious. #Vax2Protect #WhyIVax #VaccinateYourKids