Melanie's Marvelous Measles facts for kids
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| Author | Stephanie Messenger |
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| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Published | 2012 |
| Publisher | self-published |
| ISBN | 9780987233400 |
Melanie's Marvelous Measles is a children's book. It was written by Stephanie Messenger, an author from Australia. She is known for her views against vaccines. The book was published by herself in 2012.
The story in the book says that getting measles is good for your health. It also claims that vaccines do not work well. These ideas are different from what scientific data shows.
The book became well-known in 2015. This was after a measles outbreak started at Disneyland in late 2014. Many people criticized the book. They pointed out the dangers of measles. They also noted that the book's title sounds like George's Marvellous Medicine. That book was written by Roald Dahl. He strongly supported vaccination. His daughter Olivia died from measles in 1962. The book also got attention for many negative reviews on Amazon.com.
What the Story is About
The book suggests that getting measles is helpful for kids. The book's description says measles is "quite benign" (not harmful) and "beneficial to the body."
The book's back cover says it teaches children about the good parts of having measles. It also talks about how to get better naturally. It claims that people are often made to fear diseases. This is so someone can sell medicines or vaccines. The book says that in developed countries, these diseases are not very serious. It also says that natural health sources believe they are good for the body.
Melanie's Marvelous Measles Plot
In the story, a girl named Tina has never had vaccines. She goes back to school after a break. She learns her friend Melanie has measles at home. Tina's mom tells Tina to visit Melanie. She thinks catching measles would be good for Tina.
Tina tells her mom that other kids are scared of measles. But her mom says it is good for most children. She says "Many wise people believe measles make the body stronger." Tina's mom suggests carrot juice and melon for Melanie. She says being scared of measles is "a bit like being scared of the dark."
Tina's mom explains why Tina has not had vaccines. Her older brother got sick after his shots. Melanie's mom says Melanie had the measles vaccine, but it did not work. The doctor said Melanie's measles were the worst he had seen. Melanie tells Tina that her spots do not hurt or itch. She shows Tina her spotty tummy. The girls play together and hug.
A week later, Tina is back at school. She did not get measles. Her mom says this is because Tina ate healthy foods. She also played outside and drank lots of water. Jared, a boy who had vaccines, gets measles. Tina's mom blames this on his bad eating habits. The book shows Jared in bed with spots. He has a hamburger, chips, soda, and candy next to him.
The book also says that childhood vaccines do not work well. Stephanie Messenger writes that she raised her three children without vaccines. She says they did not get childhood diseases.
What Science Says About Measles
Scientific information shows different facts about measles. Measles causes the most deaths that could be prevented by vaccines. About 96,000 people died from measles in 2013. The measles vaccine is very effective. After two shots, it works 97% of the time.
Measles spreads very easily. Before vaccines, three to four million cases happened each year in the United States. About 0.2% of people who get measles die from it. Most of those who die are younger than five years old.
New scientific studies show that measles is more dangerous than it seems. The measles infection makes children open to other germs. These are germs they were protected from before getting measles. This happens because the measles virus can erase parts of the body's immune system memory.
Scientists found that measles can wipe out antibodies. These antibodies protect against other bacteria and viruses. Two months after kids recovered from measles, 11–73% of their antibodies were gone. Kids who got the MMR vaccine did not lose these antibodies.
