Brian Hooker, who is the chief scientific officer of Children’s Health Defense, is a prominent anti-vaccine activist. Just a week ago, he disclosed that he caught measles while on travel in west Texas. He delivered the announcement following one of the most distressing events. Just after producing that segment, he recorded an interview with the parents of a six-year-old who died from the disease, the first measles death in the US in ten years.
The incident has worried many, especially considering Hooker’s high profile role in the anti-vaccination movement. He had also recently testified in front of a U.S. Senate committee during its first-ever hearing on so-called “vaccine injury.” In that testimony, he asserted a link between the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism. Even though many independent studies shot down this dubious link, Bobby Hooker won’t stop spreading these baseless conspiracy theories.
Hooker also stated that he took the trip back to his home in Shasta County after contracting measles. In so doing, he did not notify local health authorities that he was sick. “I stuck them in my luggage, and that’s what I did,” he stated, referring to his actions after returning home.
Jules Howard, a spokesman for the Shasta County department of public health, called it “fantastic news.” To date this year, there have been zero confirmed cases of measles in the county. “There are no cases of measles in Shasta County, and we have had no notice of any confirmed cases of measles this year,” Howard said.
While on the hunt in Texas, Hooker also stopped by Doctor Ben Edwards’ medical pavilion. At the time, Doctor Edwards was symptomatic with measles. Public health officials had cautioned that exposure to infected persons greatly increases the risk of contracting the disease. Interestingly, Hooker revealed that he was exposed to Doctor Ben 18 days before being diagnosed himself.
After visiting Seminole, Texas, and 18 days later, I was sitting in a measles clinic. There, I learned about Doctor Ben, who came down with the measles and infecting me immediately after, I contracted it myself. “So cool,” Hooker claimed.
Hooker got one dose of the MMR vaccine, which is about 93% effective at preventing disease. The good news is that two doses of the vaccine work to make a 97% effectiveness rate against measles. Public health experts are warning that shortcutting to a single dose puts people at increased risk of catching the disease.
So the recent death of this six-year-old, undoubtedly, sparked renewed debate on rising vaccination rates and keeping public health safety the priority. As to the broader implications, UCSF’s Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert, provided this take. “Measles is like the poster child, but it’s about a way of life that we’ve taken for granted in the last few decades that is threatened,” he said. Chin-Hong underscored the need for communities to relearn about these diseases. He highlighted the very real dangers that accompany declining vaccination rates.
The COVID-19 pandemic and dissemination of misinformation about vaccines has made parents more wary and skeptical of immunization recommendations. Chin-Hong noted, “The fact that [they] are questioning it on a public stage means that a lot more people who might have trusted their clinicians are questioning it more now.”
As Hooker’s case unfolds, public health officials urge individuals to remain vigilant about vaccination and educate themselves on the importance of herd immunity in preventing outbreaks of preventable diseases like measles.