Medical experts held a press conference in Yangon’s North Dagon Township on Monday to tell some worried parents what most people already know: that vaccines are good.
They were responding to two viral Facebook posts that allege a link between the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism. The experts, including members of the Myanmar Autism Association, assured the public that no such link exists.
On August 14, two posts went up on a Facebook page called To a Better Health, which purports to offer “educational and religious resources for better physical and mental health.” The page’s content includes a mixture of self-help advice, Buddhist inspiration, and medical advice. Followers refer to the woman who runs the page as “Doctor,” though her credentials are not listed on the page.
That morning, the Doctor posted a video that features monologues by Andrew Wakefield, a former medical researcher whose now-discredited discovery of a link between the MMR vaccine and autism led to his removal from the UK medical register. Although it was determined to be a hoax, his research has fueled the anti-vaxxer movement since the 1990s.
The video also alleges a cover-up by the US Centers for Disease Control about the dangers of vaccinating children.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFcIwqoHaWo&feature=share
Later that day, the Doctor posted a link to the anti-vaxxer National Vaccine Information Center website, along with a lengthy comment about the link between the MMR vaccine and autism.
Many commenters confronted the Doctor for spreading false information. Some posted links to articles discrediting Wakefield’s research and offering advice from credible doctors about the importance of vaccinating children.
The Doctor responded by shrugging off any responsibility for her posts, saying it is up to parents to decide what to do with the information she posts.
Other commenters came to the Doctor’s aid, encouraging her to post more pseudoscience.
Many parents were still on the fence after these exchanges and decided to attend Monday’s press conference to hear what the experts had to say.
One parent told the Myanmar Times: “I worried for my children when I saw the post on Facebook, so I came to this event.”
At the event, medical professionals stressed to their audience that “vaccines cannot cause autism.”
Professor Saw Win, vice chairman of the National Committee for Immunization Practices, told parents that Myanmar needs boost access to vaccinations, not spread doubt about them.
“Myanmar faces difficulty in vaccinating children in remote areas. Vaccines are very expensive for Myanmar, as a developing country. Myanmar started measles vaccine injections in 1986, and recently, the disease has been significantly reduced. But Myanmar still needs to prevent other diseases by vaccine injection,” he said at the event.
Professor Kyi Kyi Thinn, professor emeritus at the University of Medicine in Yangon, warned that forgoing vaccinations – not vaccinations themselves – puts children at risk of disease, disability, and death.
“MMR vaccines should be administered to children as per schedule,” she said. “Children are most likely to end up with tragic deaths or disabilities if they do not get vaccinated.”
She added, in a way that unfortunately mirrors the Doctor’s comment but happens to be true: “These tragedies could have been prevented by giving vaccine to your child. The life and future of your children is in your hands.”
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