Maria Godoy

Measles is probably the most contagious infectious disease known to mankind. It's really kind of like the canary in the coal mine in terms of pointing out where the holes in the public health system is.

Measles is probably the most contagious infectious disease known to mankind. It's really kind of like the canary in the coal mine in terms of pointing out where the holes in the public health system is.

Measles is probably the most contagious infectious disease known to mankind. It's really kind of like the canary in the coal mine in terms of pointing out where the holes in the public health system is.

Before we had a measles vaccine developed in the early 1960s, measles used to kill 400 to 500 people in the U.S. every year. That's actually one of the reasons we find ourselves having outbreaks, right, because people forget how powerful the measles vaccine is and what devastation it prevents.

Before we had a measles vaccine developed in the early 1960s, measles used to kill 400 to 500 people in the U.S. every year. That's actually one of the reasons we find ourselves having outbreaks, right, because people forget how powerful the measles vaccine is and what devastation it prevents.

Before we had a measles vaccine developed in the early 1960s, measles used to kill 400 to 500 people in the U.S. every year. That's actually one of the reasons we find ourselves having outbreaks, right, because people forget how powerful the measles vaccine is and what devastation it prevents.

So what you have is parents giving kids vitamin A under the false belief that it can prevent measles. And that can actually be really, really harmful. And you're seeing that now in West Texas. There have been children who have measles hospitalized for vitamin A toxicity.

So what you have is parents giving kids vitamin A under the false belief that it can prevent measles. And that can actually be really, really harmful. And you're seeing that now in West Texas. There have been children who have measles hospitalized for vitamin A toxicity.

So what you have is parents giving kids vitamin A under the false belief that it can prevent measles. And that can actually be really, really harmful. And you're seeing that now in West Texas. There have been children who have measles hospitalized for vitamin A toxicity.

What's interesting is that health officials in Texas say, despite the measles outbreak, despite the fact that we have had the death of a child there last month, they're not having as much uptake as they would like in terms of vaccination, because that's part of how you would respond to an outbreak. You go in and you vaccinate anyone who is unvaccinated, and that's how you stop it.

What's interesting is that health officials in Texas say, despite the measles outbreak, despite the fact that we have had the death of a child there last month, they're not having as much uptake as they would like in terms of vaccination, because that's part of how you would respond to an outbreak. You go in and you vaccinate anyone who is unvaccinated, and that's how you stop it.

What's interesting is that health officials in Texas say, despite the measles outbreak, despite the fact that we have had the death of a child there last month, they're not having as much uptake as they would like in terms of vaccination, because that's part of how you would respond to an outbreak. You go in and you vaccinate anyone who is unvaccinated, and that's how you stop it.

But they're still not getting the uptake they would like to see. And so you have super low vaccination rates in this Gaines County, Texas, where the outbreak began last year. low 80 percentile vaccination against measles, which is serious because you need to have vaccination rates about 95 percent to prevent community outbreaks.

But they're still not getting the uptake they would like to see. And so you have super low vaccination rates in this Gaines County, Texas, where the outbreak began last year. low 80 percentile vaccination against measles, which is serious because you need to have vaccination rates about 95 percent to prevent community outbreaks.

But they're still not getting the uptake they would like to see. And so you have super low vaccination rates in this Gaines County, Texas, where the outbreak began last year. low 80 percentile vaccination against measles, which is serious because you need to have vaccination rates about 95 percent to prevent community outbreaks.

This place was pretty much primed, basically, for an outbreak to spread easily. And that's what we're seeing.

This place was pretty much primed, basically, for an outbreak to spread easily. And that's what we're seeing.

This place was pretty much primed, basically, for an outbreak to spread easily. And that's what we're seeing.

One of the things with disinformation is that sometimes there's a kernel of truth there that gets twisted, right? And like Brandy's saying, you lose the nuance. So for instance, I'm thinking of vitamin A, right? We've heard RFK Jr. promote vitamin A as a treatment for measles. And it's not completely out of left field, but that role is very specific and it cannot prevent measles, right?

One of the things with disinformation is that sometimes there's a kernel of truth there that gets twisted, right? And like Brandy's saying, you lose the nuance. So for instance, I'm thinking of vitamin A, right? We've heard RFK Jr. promote vitamin A as a treatment for measles. And it's not completely out of left field, but that role is very specific and it cannot prevent measles, right?