08/26/2026
PLEASE,
LET’S NOT MAKE DECISIONS OUT OF FEAR
I’m seeing a LOT of fear on other local pages right now, with parents asking about the MMR and whether they should be worried about their children having side effects. People are saying, “My child just had it a week ago,” “Mine had it two weeks ago,” and the fear seems to be spreading quickly.
I understand wanting to protect your children. I understand asking questions. But I also think we need to stop for a minute and look at what is happening.
The MMR is the vaccine that has historically been singled out by some mothers of children with autism who believe their child’s developmental changes were related to vaccination. So when people hear about measles outbreaks, it is understandable that the MMR immediately becomes the focus.
But fear should never be the reason we make a medical decision.
We saw this happen during COVID. People were bombarded with frightening information, fear spread incredibly quickly, and many people made decisions because they were scared.
Now I’m watching the same fear begin to spread around measles.
And there is another issue I think people need to pay attention to.
Please go read Commissioner Josh Parsons’ post on Facebook. He says he contacted the Lancaster County Coroner after the state announced two measles-associated deaths in Lancaster County. According to Parsons, what he was told by the Coroner’s Office does not appear to match the way these deaths are being presented publicly.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health and the governor are reporting two measles-associated deaths, while Parsons says the Coroner told him there were no deaths where measles was the immediate cause of death.
That deserves clarification.
I'm not saying measles can't be serious. It absolutely can be.
I'm saying we deserve the complete story, including the health circumstances of the people involved, before headlines are used to create widespread fear.
So before you run out and make a decision about the MMR because you're frightened by what you're seeing on Facebook or hearing in the media, slow down.
Ask questions.
Do your own research.
Look at the whole picture.
Don't let fear make the decision for you.
And if you have questions and want to talk through them, reach out to me. I would much rather see people informed and asking questions than frightened into making decisions they haven't fully considered.
We ran scared during COVID.
Let's not be played so easily again.