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Several years ago, Dr. David Gorski coined the phrase “everything old is new again” to describe how contrarian doctors perfectly parroted what “old school” anti-vaxxers said about measles and the MMR. None of their arguments against the COVID vaccine were new or original, at least to those of us who cared about the anti-vaccine movement before the pandemic, and tried to warn of its threat. It was obvious to us that myths spread by anti-vaxxers to minimize measles were being recycled by contrarian doctors to minimize COVID.

Now, measles is back. Thanks in part to the efforts of contrarian doctors, RFK Jr. is trying to stop it with vitamin A and cod liver oil. He’s not getting on camera urging vaccinations. As measles spreads, the anti-vaccine movement is prepared, emboldened, and empowered. Respected doctors from respected universities amplified their ideas and made them mainstream. Today myths spread by contrarian doctors to minimize COVID are being recycled by anti-vaxxers to minimize measles.

The anti-vaccine circle is complete.

Child that died in Texas apparently had pneumonia and RSV and word is they vaccinated while sick for measles.

In August 2021, as the Delta variant ripped through the country, Dr. Tracy Beth Høeg looked a random data fluctuations and decided to “just ask questions” about whether SARS-CoV-2 was really hurting children. To minimize COVID, she suggested that RSV was filling up pediatric hospitals and that incompetent pediatricians were misdiagnosing their patients. I debunked that myth here.

A tweet discussing COVID hospitalization rates among children, with a chart showing data from 2020-2021. The chart includes different age groups represented by various lines. The tweet speculates on the impact of RSV on COVID labeling.

Today, anti-vaxxers are claiming that the child who died of measles in Texas, actually died of RSV.

Screenshot of a tweet by Dr. Syed Haider expressing skepticism about vaccine reactions and misinformation. The tweet discusses a child who died of pneumonia and RSV, perceived vaccine side effects, and historical medical mislabeling.

Unless children have underlying conditions or are malnourished, measles in not a problem.

With COVID, Dr. Marty Makary spread the myth that there was a “mortality rate of zero among children without a pre-existing medical condition such as leukemia.I debunked that myth here.

Today, anti-vaxxers are claiming that measles is harmless for healthy children. Although anti-vaxxers don’t seem to recognize this, children with underlying medical conditions also are loved and have value.

A newspaper clipping features an article titled "Doctors Give Advice to Mothers Whose Children Have Measles." The top portion includes a photo of two children. Above the image, a comment dismisses measles concerns and mentions lifelong immunity.

The 6yr old did not die from measles. She died because the hospital refused to give her breathing treatments.

Because he could not utter the words “I underestimated COVID”, Dr. John Ioannidis decided to throw frontline doctors under the bus. He said lives were lost in 2020 because doctors were “just going crazy, and intubating people who did not have to be intubated”. They, not COVID, were to blame for the demise of their patients. I debunked that myth here.

Though they now blame the lack of “breathing treatments,” anti-vaxxers are again blaming doctors, not measles, for the death of the child in Texas. In this universe, doctors are deadlier than measles and COVID.

Tweet by Brian Tyson, MD, about a 6-year-old allegedly dying from lack of treatment at a hospital. He accuses hospitals of promoting a narrative, expressing anger and emphasizing "HELL TO PAY" for such actions.
A tweet by Children's Health Defense on Twitter states: "HORRIFYING: 'The parents were literally begging for breathing treatments for their child.'" It discusses a reported case in Gaines County, Texas, about a child with measles and RSV pneumonia.

Did the child die with measles or from measles?

Another technique Dr. Ioannidis used to minimize COVID was to claim that people were dying with COVID not from COVID. In one typical interview he said:

It’s very difficult to differentiate between deaths by SARS-CoV-2 and deaths with SARS-CoV-2. Since we had close to 99% of people dying have other causes that may have contributed to their demise, it’s very difficult to dissociate and say that these people specifically died because they were infected.

Only someone who never worked in a hospital would say anything that absurd, and I debunked that myth here.

Now, anti-vaxxers are again claiming that children die with measles, not from measles.

A screenshot of a tweet from Children's Health Defense. It discusses the death of a child who tested positive for measles, calling for transparency. It raises questions about the measles strains and vaccination status in Texas.

I don’t remember measles cases (which happen every year) being breathless national news in previous years. Does the media know children are dying from chronic diseases (not measles.)

Even though COVID hospitalized 234,000 children, Dr. Vinay Prasad tried to minimize it by claiming it was “breathless, fear-mongering” created by the news. He portrayed anyone who wasn’t apathetic to sick children as both hysterical and indifferent to other risks. I discussed this misleading technique here.

A tweet by Vinay Prasad MD MPH discussing concerns over media coverage of COVID-19 in children and highlighting the neglect of a greater health threat. Text mentions breathless and fear-mongering news coverage.

Now anti-vaxxers are claiming measles is a creation of “breathless” of the news and that anyone who disagrees doesn’t care about “chronic diseases.”

Screenshot of a tweet by Calley Means questioning the media's focus on measles cases, suggesting they overshadow chronic diseases in children. The tweet criticizes MSNBC, referring to it as the "Measles News Network.
Text excerpt discussing Del Bigtree's comments on Mr. Kennedy's approach to decision-making, media's role, and balance regarding measles.

Source for this quote

For children, getting sick and recovering is part of a natural and healthy life.

Along with Allison Krug, Dr. Prasad also argued that COVID was “natural and healthy” for children to contract COVID and that it was “reckless” to prevent infections. Their article Should We Let Children Catch Omicron? was written during the deadliest wave of the pandemic for children, and it said:

When it comes to infectious disease, normality means a world where they are routinely exposed to, and overcome, viral illness. For children, getting sick and recovering is part of a natural and healthy life…

Parents must consider that exposures are how we best protect our children against the variants of the future. In fact, it is reckless to let children age into a more serious encounter with a disease best dealt with while younger.

I debunked the myth that COVID is healthy for children here.

Opinion article titled "Should we let children catch Omicron?" discusses the impact of restrictions in schools. It features Allison Krug, an epidemiologist, and Vinay Prasad, an epidemiology professor. Published on February 2, 2022.

Today, authorities are asking parents not to hold “measles parties”. These parents have been told that for children, getting sick and recovering is part of a natural and healthy life

Screenshot of a Vice article titled, "Please Stop Having Measles Parties, Texas Government Begs," by Luis Prada. Published on March 3, 2025, at 12:00pm. Title and author details are displayed on a black background.

Indeed, everything old is new again, again. However, beyond using identical language and techniques to mislead their audience, there is no fundamental difference between someone who minimizes COVID and someone who minimizes measles. Grieving parents aren’t focused on which particular virus killed or injured their child. It’s a tragedy any time a child suffers because their parents were tricked by anti-vaxxers.

This didn’t used to be controversial in medicine.

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  • Dr. Jonathan Howard is a neurologist and psychiatrist who has been interested in vaccines since long before COVID-19. He is the author of "We Want Them Infected: How the failed quest for herd immunity led doctors to embrace the anti-vaccine movement and blinded Americans to the threat of COVID."

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Posted by Jonathan Howard

Dr. Jonathan Howard is a neurologist and psychiatrist who has been interested in vaccines since long before COVID-19. He is the author of "We Want Them Infected: How the failed quest for herd immunity led doctors to embrace the anti-vaccine movement and blinded Americans to the threat of COVID."