EDZARD ERNST: World-renowned alternative medicine expert warns anti-vaxx nonsense risks fueling measles crisis

A few years ago we celebrated the fact that measles had been all but eradicated. Unfortunately we were happy too soon.

In 2022, 9 million people worldwide contracted the virus and 136,000 died from it, mainly children. Last year there were measles outbreaks in 37 countries.

In Britain, the number of measles infections has almost tripled in the past week, with 314 suspected cases in England and Wales, up from 129 infections the week before.

The number so far this year is about 600, more than ten times the number in the same period in 2023.

The Ministry of Health is urging immediate action to ensure all children are vaccinated.

Due to the high contagiousness of the measles virus, at least 95 percent of the population must be vaccinated to ensure herd immunity.

However, the vaccination rate in Britain is currently only 85 percent.

The reasons for widespread vaccine fatigue are certainly complex.

What is often neglected is the fact that many alternative practitioners recommend against vaccinations.

The graph shows the dramatic increase in measles cases across England since October 1, driven mainly by cases in Birmingham

A recent study found that vaccine hesitancy is mainly due to concerns about vaccine safety and effectiveness, perceptions of the risk and burden of measles, and distrust in experts.

Alternative practitioners are happy to play on such fears. They tend to exaggerate the risks of vaccinations and question their effectiveness.

Many even claim that vaccinations are a conspiracy to enrich the hated pharmaceutical industry.

The reason for the negative attitude of alternative practitioners is simple. Already during their training, they are misinformed that their therapy can replace all vaccinations in a holistic and completely natural way.

For example, many homeopaths offer their own, but completely ineffective, form of vaccination, called ‘homeoprophylaxis’.

The British Society of Homeopaths claims that its members ‘should not advise on, or participate in, a patient’s decisions regarding vaccination’.

However, it only takes seconds to find UK practitioners offering homeoprophylaxis.

Just a few years ago, Ainsworth, the London-based homeopathic pharmacy, was criticized for selling homeopathic measles remedies, and ‘Dr. Reckeweg R62 Measles drops are directly available on the internet.

Measles is highly contagious and can lead to serious complications, including deaths.

In my opinion it is far too serious a disease to tolerate charlatans getting involved.

• Professor Edzard Ernst is a world-renowned researcher in complementary medicine, founder of three medical journals and emeritus professor at the University of Exeter