Measles Cases Surge by 20% Globally, But Deaths Decline — Is the Answer More Vaccines?
While the CDC and WHO call for higher vaccination rates to combat measles, research experts say the solution lies in addressing broader socioeconomic factors.
A new report from the CDC and WHO highlights a troubling 20% surge in measles cases globally from 2022 to 2023, despite an 8% decrease in deaths from the disease. The report points to lower vaccination rates, which were significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as a key factor behind the rise in cases.
Although the health organizations emphasize the need for increased vaccination efforts to curb the outbreak, critics argue that a more effective solution would involve providing economic support to the most vulnerable regions. These critics suggest that improving living conditions and addressing broader public health challenges, rather than simply ramping up vaccination campaigns, is more beneficial in the long term.
Studies show that children with weakened immune systems caused by malnutrition or other underlying diseases are more vulnerable to death from the disease. However, the public health agencies continue to focus on increasing vaccination rates, rather than on tackling broader issues of public health.
“Historically and everywhere, measles prevalence disappears when living conditions improve,” said Denis Rancourt, Ph.D., an excess mortality researcher and lead scientist for more than 20 years at the University of Ottawa in Canada.
“Giving these vaccines to impoverished and oppressed populations, whether domestic or foreign, is an evil and cynical exercise motivated by corporate greed and geopolitical dominance,” he added.
Furthermore, some experts raise concerns that the measles vaccine might be contributing to the evolution of the virus, making newer strains more resistant to the vaccine’s effectiveness. This has sparked an ongoing debate about the role of vaccination in controlling the spread of the disease.
Read the full article from CHD’s The Defender for a comprehensive analysis of the report.
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