Video claiming vaccinations for measles and polio are meaningless is misleading

The Verdict [Misleading]
The post is misleading and selectively uses data to prove that vaccines are ineffective

What’s the claim?

A video on Instagram claims that vaccinations for diseases like measles, pertussis, and polio are meaningless. The video also shows some graphics, suggesting that the mortality rate was very low even before these vaccines were introduced.

The video, first posted on November 30, had garnered nearly 38,000 likes at the time of writing this story. An archived version of more such posts can be found here, here, and here.

While the video discusses vaccination, the caption of the post also underscores the need to detox children of heavy metals, a viral misinformation trend that Logically Facts has written about in the past.

*(Screenshot of the Instagram Reels. Source: Instagram/Modified by Logically Facts)*

However, the claim about the low mortality rate before these vaccines were introduced is misleading. We reviewed historical data and spoke to an expert to understand the truth behind these claims.

CLAIM 1: In 1900, the measles mortality rate was just above 13 deaths per 100,000 people, and by 1960, it was zero. The measles vaccine wasn’t introduced till 1963.

FACT: While it’s true that the measles vaccine became available in 1963, the claim about the mortality rate is not accurate. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “In the first decade of reporting, an average of 6,000 measles-related deaths were reported each year.” In 1912, measles became a nationally notifiable disease in the United States.

The CDC also mentioned that before the vaccination was made available, nearly every child got measles by the time they turned 15 years old. The disease reportedly sickened three to four million people and led to the death of nearly 500 people each year.

New Zealand-based vaccinologist and Co-Director of the Global Vaccine Data Network, Helen Aspasia Petousis-Harris, said, “While mortality rates for measles did decline significantly in the early 20th century due to improvements in medical care, nutrition, and hygiene, deaths were not zero by 1960. Measles remained a significant cause of illness and death until the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1963.”

Many other resources, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, have well-established that immunization against measles helps the body fight the virus.

CLAIM 2: In 1926, the mortality rate for whooping cough was 8.8 per 100,000 people, and by 1946, it had dropped to 0.9 per 100,000 people.

FACT: Dr. Harris responded, “The claim that mortality declined from 8.8 per 100,000 people in 1926 to 0.9 per 100,000 by 1946 is partially accurate but misleading in its implications. Infection rates remained high, and many children suffered severe illness, hospitalization, and long-term complications. Vaccines significantly reduced both infections and mortality after their introduction.”

The vaccination for pertussis was launched in the 1940s, after which the cases declined sharply.

Between 1926 and 1930, there were 36,013 deaths from pertussis in the U.S., according to an article published in Springer Nature, a leading science journal. In another peer-reviewed international journal, The Microbe, a paper highlighted how the “use of vaccines to protect against pertussis from the 1940s to 1984 reduced the incidence of reported disease by more than 157-fold”.

CLAIM 3: The first polio vaccine came out in 1955. By April of that year, more than 2,00,000 children had received the vaccine. The vaccine caused 40,000 cases of polio, leaving 200 children with varying degrees of paralysis and killing at least 10.

FACT: Dr. Harris reacted by saying, “The claim about the 1955 polio vaccine causing 40,000 cases of polio refers to the Cutter Incident, a rare and tragic event where a faulty batch of the vaccine inadvertently contained live poliovirus. This led to cases of polio in some vaccinated children.” She also clarified that the Cutter Incident was a setback; it did not represent the polio vaccination program overall.

The first successful vaccine was created by U.S. physician Jonas Salk. In 1953, he tested his experimental killed-virus vaccine on himself and his family and licensed the vaccine in 1955.

“The polio vaccine successfully reduced cases of polio from tens of thousands annually to near elimination,” Dr. Harris said.

She explained that “misrepresenting data by focusing only on mortality rates while ignoring infection rates and complications is a common tactic used to discredit vaccines. The scientific consensus is clear: Vaccines are one of the most effective public health tools ever developed, saving millions of lives globally.”

We also found data from WHO that mentioned details about an outbreak of polio in the U.S. in 1952 that took 3000 lives alone. “In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, frequent epidemics saw polio become the most feared disease in the world. A major outbreak in New York City in 1916 killed over 2000 people, and the worst recorded U.S. outbreak in 1952 killed over 3000.” According to the Mayo Clinic vaccine history timeline, “about 16,000 cases of polio (paralytic poliomyelitis) occurred each year in the U.S. in the 20th century compared with none in 2020.”

What more?

While the video focuses on these vaccines, the post also promotes unproven detox products. Dr. Harris called this post a fear-based tactic that “exploits misunderstandings about science and the natural world, positioning “natural” or “chemical-free” alternatives as safer, despite a lack of evidence.” She added that these claims are rooted in pseudoscience and “there is no medically recognized method to “detox” children of heavy metals or other substances purportedly linked to vaccines.”