Fact Checking Dr. Oz And Byron Donalds On Vaccines: What The Science Actually Says
On CBS's "Face The Nation," Dr. Mehmet Oz and Rep. Byron Donalds made questionable claims about vaccines and measles. Dr. Oz initially hesitated to confirm the MMR vaccine isn't lethal, despite its proven safety and 97% effectiveness. He also downplayed the infant Hepatitis B vaccine, ignoring its critical role in preventing severe chronic infection. Rep. Donalds falsely blamed "rampant illegal immigration" for the measles outbreak, when CDC data shows declining vaccination rates are the true cause. Only a tiny fraction of cases are linked to international visitors. Such misinformation from public figures risks public health by fostering vaccine hesitancy and confusion.
On Sunday’s CBS show Face The Nation, CMS administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz and Florida gubernatorial candidate Rep. Byron Donalds made several claims about vaccines and measles that deserve further scrutiny. Some statements were factually accurate while others omitted important scientific context. Other claims were simply factually inaccurate. Here is what the science shows.
Dr. Oz was asked to clarify President Trump’s claim on the possibility that the MMR vaccine could be lethal. After host Margaret Brennan asked Dr. Oz to clarify the statement on three separate occasions, Dr. Oz finally stated, “the MMR vaccine is not a lethal vaccine”.
Dr. Oz is correct, as the MMR vaccine has been shown in numerous studies to be a safe and effective vaccine. Two shots of the vaccine offer 97% protection against measles, with minimal side effects that include injection site pain, fever and stiffness in joints. However, it took Dr. Oz three questions and opportunities from host Margaret Brennan to clarify this. At a time where vaccine hesitancy is rising with the worse measles outbreak in over three decades, public health messaging and clarity is critical to avoid confusion among the general public when pertaining to vaccines. In addition, Dr. Oz framed his answer on parental choices without clearly explaining the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness risks creating a false equivalence between an effective preventive intervention and a nonexistent demonstrated danger.
During the interview, Dr. Oz stated that the hepatitis B vaccine “helps adults” and argued exposure in infants is “extraordinarily, extraordinarily rare”.
Although hepatitis B is usually contracted through sexual intercourse and the sharing of needles, infants can also acquire the infection from an infected mother during delivery or through household exposures such as a toothbrush. In addition, before universal vaccination recommendations for hepatitis B in 1991, more than 20,000 infants contracted hepatitis B annually. About 90% of infants that become infected will develop chronic hepatitis B infection, which can lead to liver failure, liver cancer and death. After vaccination in 1991, infection in children and adolescents decreased by 99%. Thus, describing newborn hepatitis B vaccination as unnecessary because exposure is rare ignores the potentially devastating consequences when exposure does occur.
Rep. Donalds told Face The Nation that the reason for the measles outbreak occurred in certain parts of the country was due to “rampant illegal immigration”, suggesting that cases were imported internationally or from undocumented immigrants. However, according to CDC data, only 16 of the nearly 2,800 cases have been due to international visitors to the United States, with 94% coming from individuals who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown. The number of imported cases represents less than 0.006% of all measles cases in America. The measles outbreak has been sustained not because of imported cases or immigration, but rather declining vaccination rates of less than 95% that are necessary to maintain herd immunity.
Medical misinformation, particularly from politicians and health leaders, can have dire consequences, resulting in confusion and decreased transparency. This can have devastating public health consequences, resulting in decreased trust and ultimately declining vaccination rates. Vaccines are not risk-free, but evidence overwhelmingly shows the MMR vaccine to be safe and effective. In addition, the hepatitis B vaccine protects infants against an infection that can become lifelong and potentially deadly. Finally, when vaccination rates for measles decline, measles finds the gaps.