In 2005, Rolling Stone and Salon.com published an article called Deadly Immunity. It was by Robert F Kennedy Jr., who is now the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Kennedy wrote that the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella, was linked to a rise in autism diagnoses.
That theory has since been debunked by several studies, but a movement was gathering steam, and now-Secretary Kennedy was one of its leaders. The movement has led to a drop in vaccination rates, which is helping fuel current measles outbreaks.
Secretary Kennedy recently reversed course on vaccines, writing an editorial that urged parents to get their kids vaccinated. But his recommendation comes during a growing measles outbreak in West Texas that has caused one child's death, and since the measles vaccine also contains protection against mumps and rubella, there may soon be outbreaks of those diseases as well.
Since most of us have never seen a case of measles, mumps, or rubella, host Bonnie Petrie asked UT Health San Antonio and University Health infectious diseases Dr. Jason Bowling what we should watch out for.
On Mumps
Mumps is a viral illness that causes fever, and then it can cause parotitis or swelling of the parotid glands, which are in the cheeks. It can also cause problems such as testicular swelling that can occur in up to 30% of men. It's a potential risk factor for infertility and can cause pain severe enough that people can end up in the hospital.
On Rubella
Rubella is a viral infection that causes a fever and a rash, similar to measles, but the symptoms tend to be less severe for most people, and they tend to be shorter. The biggest concern we have regarding rubella is that women who are pregnant get infected with rubella during that first trimester, they're at high risk of their baby developing congenital rubella syndrome, or they could have a miscarriage or stillbirth. Those are huge complications from a vaccine-preventable illness.
On Measles Parties
With all of these diseases, there's always the risk of serious complications, and with measles — even death. A vaccine is a way that you can provide in a protected, known quantity, a challenge to the immune system that the body can overcome without serious complications. That's completely different from getting exposed to a virus and illness where you can have who knows what course and who knows what complications.
Listen to Petrie Dishto to hear more of our conversation with Dr. Bowling about mumps and rubella.
