Wendy Zukerman (Host)

The truth is that there are a couple of real risks, and then there's a lot of crap online you don't have to worry about. So first... Some kids might get a rash soon after the vaccine. Does it look like the measles rash? What kind of rash? It does.

The truth is that there are a couple of real risks, and then there's a lot of crap online you don't have to worry about. So first... Some kids might get a rash soon after the vaccine. Does it look like the measles rash? What kind of rash? It does.

But important for people to know because that would be quite scary if you weren't expecting it. You give your kid the measles vaccine and all of a sudden they're getting a measles rash.

But important for people to know because that would be quite scary if you weren't expecting it. You give your kid the measles vaccine and all of a sudden they're getting a measles rash.

The second thing to know about here is seizures. So in about one in 3,000 cases to about one in 4,000 cases, a kid may get what's called a febrile seizure after getting the MMR vaccine. Those figures come from the CDC. Dr Catherine Gibney told me that this does not mean measles is infecting your brain or anything. This happens because after you get a vaccine, it's pretty common to get a fever.

The second thing to know about here is seizures. So in about one in 3,000 cases to about one in 4,000 cases, a kid may get what's called a febrile seizure after getting the MMR vaccine. Those figures come from the CDC. Dr Catherine Gibney told me that this does not mean measles is infecting your brain or anything. This happens because after you get a vaccine, it's pretty common to get a fever.

And in young kids, that can trigger a seizure. It's just any time you get a fever, you could get a seizure?

And in young kids, that can trigger a seizure. It's just any time you get a fever, you could get a seizure?

And by that, Catherine means that if you're a parent watching this happen to your kid, it can be really frightening. But according to the CDC, nearly all kids will recover quickly. When we think about sort of vaccine skepticism, I guess we should talk about autism.

And by that, Catherine means that if you're a parent watching this happen to your kid, it can be really frightening. But according to the CDC, nearly all kids will recover quickly. When we think about sort of vaccine skepticism, I guess we should talk about autism.

I don't mean to sound dismissive here. And, you know, I am still seeing a lot of stuff online connecting this vaccine to autism and But the thing is, over and over again, studies have compared thousands of kids, in some cases, hundreds of thousands of kids.

I don't mean to sound dismissive here. And, you know, I am still seeing a lot of stuff online connecting this vaccine to autism and But the thing is, over and over again, studies have compared thousands of kids, in some cases, hundreds of thousands of kids.

They've looked at those who've gotten the vaccine and those who didn't, and they can't see higher rates of autism in the kids who got the MMR vaccine. Next question. What will it take to stop the outbreak in the US? I talked about this with Maru. So according to the World Health Organization, to prevent outbreaks, we need to vaccinate 95% or more of the population with two doses.

They've looked at those who've gotten the vaccine and those who didn't, and they can't see higher rates of autism in the kids who got the MMR vaccine. Next question. What will it take to stop the outbreak in the US? I talked about this with Maru. So according to the World Health Organization, to prevent outbreaks, we need to vaccinate 95% or more of the population with two doses.

When we look at the situation in the US, it's been reported that one county in Texas where there's an outbreak, the MMR vaccination rate is 82%. And then when you look across the US, MMR vaccination rates aren't great. In some states like Wisconsin, Alaska and Idaho, the number of kindergarten kids with two doses of MMR vaccine is less than 85%.

When we look at the situation in the US, it's been reported that one county in Texas where there's an outbreak, the MMR vaccination rate is 82%. And then when you look across the US, MMR vaccination rates aren't great. In some states like Wisconsin, Alaska and Idaho, the number of kindergarten kids with two doses of MMR vaccine is less than 85%.

Given these numbers, how do you see this all playing out?

Given these numbers, how do you see this all playing out?

I mean, given, I was just looking at the news and the messages coming from RFK Jr. and that sort of thing, and there's been really big cuts to the CDC and public health in general. If that's what it takes, you know, as someone, Maru, who's been tracking outbreaks around the world, if that's really what it takes, mass vaccination to stop it, that's really the only thing at this point.

I mean, given, I was just looking at the news and the messages coming from RFK Jr. and that sort of thing, and there's been really big cuts to the CDC and public health in general. If that's what it takes, you know, as someone, Maru, who's been tracking outbreaks around the world, if that's really what it takes, mass vaccination to stop it, that's really the only thing at this point.