Measles Mystery in West Texas: Families Shun Vaccines and Traditional Medicine

In the heart of West Texas, a measles outbreak has sparked a heated debate. The first child to die of measles in the U. S. in over 20 years has left many people questioning the truth. The cause of death was met with doubt from anti-vaccine activists. They spread false rumors that the child was actually sick with RSV and pneumonia, and that the hospital did not provide proper care. "It's really sinister, " said Brian Hooker, chief scientific officer of the Children's Health Defense. "It feels like Covid all over again. " Hooker's comments were shared on a podcast hosted by Dr. Ben Edwards. This was not the first time Edwards and Hooker had discussed the topic, as they had previously talked about it a month into the outbreak. Dr. Ben Edwards, a former family medicine practitioner, has shifted his focus to integrative medicine. He promotes the "Four Pillars of Health": nutrition, hydration, movement, and peace. Edwards sells supplements, blood tests, and membership plans for online education materials through his website. Edwards has made some questionable claims. During the Covid pandemic, he testified at Texas state legislative hearings, claiming that vaccines caused widespread injuries and deaths. He also stated that masks were ineffective. Edwards believes that vaccines and modern medicine are not responsible for the decline in infectious disease deaths. Instead, he credits sanitation, nutrition, and lifestyle factors. He has hosted anti-vaccine influencers and activists on his podcast, including Barbara Loe Fisher and Andrew Wakefield. He has also recommended books and films from anti-vaccine activists. The measles outbreak in West Texas is not fully captured by official reports. Edwards estimates that he has seen approximately 188 cases in the last week. This estimate is based on symptoms alone, without confirmatory testing. It's unclear how much overlap there is between his estimates and the official Texas numbers. The number of hospitalizations is also outpacing the state's official count. Covenant Children's Hospital in Lubbock has treated 36 measles cases. Katherine Wells, director of public health at the Lubbock Health Department, expressed her concern about the outbreak, stating that the longer it goes on, the more likely it is to spread to other areas.