The MMR vaccine had nearly eradicated measles, mumps, and rubella in this country. If you didn't already know that, it's probably because society hasn't had to worry about those diseases for decades. Mumps and rubella aren't as serious, but measles did not fuck around in its glory days, killing thousands of people a year.
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This is what it looks like under a microscope.
The number of total cases had dropped to less than 200 annually, until McCarthy and Oprah conspired to discredit science.
The result has been a gradual spike in measles cases, with 2014 boasting a record 23 outbreaks and 644 cases reported. Was that merely coincidence or the Oprah effect at work? You can take in the available information and decide for yourself, but please remember, one of the key proponents of the anti-vaccine movement earned her college degree in the public restroom at a Candies shoe store.
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