Measles, Facebook and Russia seem like non-sequiturs that shouldn’t be grouped in the same sentence; but horrifying enough, they all belong together.
According to the CDC, measles is the most infectious of all preventable diseases; being airborne, it can transmit with stunning efficacy each time an infected person exhales. Unlike the flu virus, which requires close proximity, the measles virus spreads over space and time.
Considered eradicated in the U.S. since 2000 because of vaccinations, WHO now fears a global comeback as measles cases have recently spiked 30% worldwide. Shockingly, they cite Russia’s worldwide vaccination disinformation campaign being spread through Facebook and other social media.
During the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2013, Russia used social media disinformation to create chaos and distrust of Ukrainian government policies, resulting in Ukraine’s Health Minister being stripped of authority; consequently, few children there are vaccinated today.
Ukraine has become Europe’s measles epicenter, reporting more than 53,000 measles cases last year which was more than half of all the cases reported throughout Europe. Last week they reported another 3000 cases.
Around the same time as the Ukrainian campaign, a disinformation campaign began in the U.S. In 2013, Rand Paul and Chris Christie both participated in an anti-vaccination campaign; but they were quickly forced to recant under scientific pressure. Jenny McCarthy became famous for pushing a debunked 1998 autism study, now parents are refusing their children’s vaccinations.
Unfettered on social media, Russian trolls masquerade as concerned ordinary Americans. By turning our constitutional free speech against us, they create distrust in our health policies and uncertainty throughout our society.
Last week, Washington State declared a statewide emergency after reporting 58 cases statewide. Ten other states and Canada are also reporting outbreaks. Two weeks before the measles symptoms even appear, the virus is spreading, lingering in unventilated airspace for two hours after an infected person leaves.
When an unvaccinated person enters that space, they become infected carriers. Repeat that with each person entering and exiting that same contaminated airspace, and that’s how epidemics occur.
To survive in the digital age, our critical thinking skills will be paramount.