--- title: Dr. Tom Frieden: Vaccines Can Prevent Measles From Being a Disease of the Future description: Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H., is director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Every four minutes, somewhere in the world, a child dies from... canonical: https://time.com/3696139/measles-outbreak-2015-cdc-says-vaccinate/ author: Tom Frieden article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-02-04T21:19:21.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:45:30.132Z article:section: Health og:title: 'Vaccines Can Prevent Measles From Being a Disease of the Future' og:description: CDC head explains how to stop the outbreak og:url: https://time.com/3696139/measles-outbreak-2015-cdc-says-vaccinate/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt01dc61272a0bc4c0/69877db2cd1bbaadab6f50e5/tom-frieden.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4500 og:image:height: 2531 og:image:alt: US-POLITICS-IMMIGRATION-DEMOCRATS og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 'Vaccines Can Prevent Measles From Being a Disease of the Future' twitter:description: CDC head explains how to stop the outbreak twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt01dc61272a0bc4c0/69877db2cd1bbaadab6f50e5/tom-frieden.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 02:06 video:published: 2014-09-24 section: health topics: vaccines, autism, anti-vaccine misinformation, medical research, causation vs. association, study methodology, medical fraud, public health genre: explainer, fact-check, opinion tones: combative, authoritative, dismissive, urgent emotions: contempt (medium), concern (medium), confidence (high) sentiment: negative audience: general readers, health-conscious parents, science-interested viewers, policy observers people: Jeffrey Kulger, Andrew Wakefield organizations: TIME content_suitability: health controversy [00:00-01:49]; death [01:44-01:52] transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # Dr. Tom Frieden: Vaccines Can Prevent Measles From Being a Disease of the Future > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Health Matters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Health Matters is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The latest health news and expert advice on living well. Health Matters makes the fast-moving world of health more useful, surprising and human, from the latest science and medical breakthroughs to practical ideas for living better. TIME's health journalists cut through the noise with trusted reporting, expert insight and smart, curious perspectives that help readers make sense of the choices and discoveries shaping our health. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free weekday newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=5cba55d0-c773-4e03-8bc6-f93acb0349b8&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Science Cop: How Anti-Vaxxers Put Everyone at Risk [Watch (HLS stream): Science Cop: How Anti-Vaxxers Put Everyone at Risk](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ai82XWJ8.m3u8) (2:06)  _Published 2014-09-24. TIME's Science Cop Jeffrey Kulger takes on the misinformation coming from opponents of childhood vaccinations_ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary TIME's Science Cop Jeffrey Kulger responds to anti-vaccine claims about a 2004 study that allegedly linked vaccines to autism in African American boys. He argues the study excluded subjects without birth certificates, that the critics confuse association with causation, and that a web video spreading the claims is narrated by Andrew Wakefield, whose 1998 paper was fraudulent and who lost his UK medical license. He concludes that vaccines are safe and effective while rumor-mongering can be deadly. ## Key points - The 2004 study excluded subjects who had no birth certificates, so data such as mother's age and race could not be confirmed. (00:17) - The study found a slightly higher rate of autism among some children vaccinated between 24 and 36 months of age. (00:48) - Kulger argues those children were likely already autistic and were vaccinated later as a requirement for special education programs. (00:56) - Kulger says critics confuse association with causation, using a military haircut analogy to illustrate the error. (01:05) - The narrator of the web video spreading the rumors is Andrew Wakefield, whose fraudulent 1998 paper falsely linked vaccines to autism. (01:16) - Wakefield has had his license to practice medicine revoked in the UK. (01:34) - Kulger concludes that vaccines are safe, effective and vitally important. (01:44) - Kulger states that rumor-mongering about vaccines can kill. (01:49) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:25] Introducing the anti-vaccine study claim. Kulger introduces a claim that a 2004 study withheld a link between vaccines and autism in African American boys. - [00:25 to 01:05] Flaws in the study and causation. Kulger explains missing birth certificate data and argues critics confuse association with causation, using a haircut analogy. - [01:05 to 01:34] Wakefield's discredited role. Kulger identifies Andrew Wakefield as the narrator of the video and recounts his fraudulent 1998 paper and revoked license. - [01:34 to 02:06] Conclusion on vaccine safety. Kulger concludes vaccines are safe and effective and warns that rumor-mongering can kill. ## Key quotes - [00:12] Jeffrey Kulger: "But again and always, they're wrong." - [00:48] Jeffrey Kulger: "the people criticizing the research make the familiar mistake of confusing associated with causation." - [01:44] Jeffrey Kulger: "vaccines are safe, effective and vitally important." - [01:49] Jeffrey Kulger: "Rumor mongering, on the other hand, can kill." ## Questions this video answers - What flaw does Kulger identify in the 2004 study's data collection? [00:17] - Why does Kulger say the higher autism rate among vaccinated children does not show vaccines cause autism? [00:48] - Who narrates the web video spreading claims about the study? [01:16] - What happened to Andrew Wakefield's medical license? [01:34] - What does Kulger conclude about vaccine safety? [01:44] ## Content suitability - health controversy [00:00-01:49]: Discusses vaccine safety claims, autism and disputed medical research. - death [01:44-01:52]: Closing statement that rumor-mongering can kill. by [Tom Frieden](https://time.com/author/tom-frieden/) ## Tom Frieden Feb 4, 2015 9:19 PM UTC  Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, listens during a press conference on Capitol Hill on Jan. 13, 2015, in Washington Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, listens during a press conference on Capitol Hill on Jan. 13, 2015, in Washington Brendan Smialowski—AFP/Getty Images by [Tom Frieden](https://time.com/author/tom-frieden/) ## Tom Frieden Feb 4, 2015 9:19 PM UTC _Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H., is director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention_ Every four minutes, somewhere in the world, a child dies from measles and its complications. That’s 400 children each day. For many more, an infection from measles will give them permanent hearing loss or brain damage. In the U.S., it can be easy to forget how serious measles can be. We simply don’t see that many cases here. But measles is one of the most contagious diseases known. It’s so easily spread that if one person has it, 9 of 10 people close to that person who are not immune will also become infected. Now the U.S. is facing a measles outbreak. It started in Southern California in December and has spread to several states and Mexico. By the end of January, more than 100 people had been reported as having gotten measles as part of this outbreak. This number is increasing daily. We don’t know for sure how this outbreak began, but it’s likely that someone got infected with measles overseas and then brought measles to the U.S. and spread it to others. Nearly 90% of the people getting measles in this outbreak are not vaccinated or don’t know if they are vaccinated. --- > “” --- And one thing about measles: it is so remarkably infectious that you can’t protect yourself. You can get it just from being in a space where a person not yet very ill with measles left two hours ago, or in an auditorium with just one measles patient many seats away from you. Measles would be a far greater threat in the U.S. if it weren’t for the measles vaccine, which has now been successfully used for more than 50 years. It’s widely administered through childhood immunization programs around the world. In the past 14 years alone, it has been given to more than 2 billion people worldwide. Since 2001, a global partnership that includes the CDC has vaccinated more than 1 billion children. In that time, these vaccinations have prevented more than 15 million deaths. The worldwide effort to prevent deaths from measles is leaving behind trained people, refrigerators for cold storage of vaccines and patterns of vaccination that will continue to make the world more secure. --- > “” --- We can prevent another outbreak from occurring through some simple steps. First, doctors can make sure all their patients are up to date on their MMR shots — which protect against measles as well as mumps and rubella — and other vaccines. If your children are sick with a fever, keep them at home. Or if you are sick with a fever, stay home. This protects others and works just as well whether the diagnosis is measles or flu or something else. This measles outbreak is also a reminder that adults should make sure their vaccinations are up to date. If you’re not sure, talk with your doctor, particularly prior to overseas travel. Second, if their patients will be traveling abroad, they should make sure anyone 6 months or older receives the appropriate dose or doses of vaccine. Third, doctors should consider a measles diagnosis in anyone who has a fever and rash and associated symptoms such as cough, irritated eyes or a runny nose. It can take anywhere from seven to 20 days after exposure before these symptoms appear. A patient with these symptoms should be isolated, specimens should be collected for testing, and the case should be reported to the local health department immediately. Fourth, we need to increase vaccination rates, particularly in areas where parents are choosing not to vaccinate their children. We are not islands. If your child gets measles because he or she hasn’t been vaccinated, infection of a child with cancer or an infant can occur, with results that can be devastating. Understandably, many parents think that measles is a disease of the past. But unless we increase vaccination rates, it will be a disease of the future. ## Transcript [00:00] So, our recent report claimed that a 2004 study [00:04] withheld a link between vaccines and autism in African [00:08] American boys. No surprise, the anti- vaccine [00:12] crowd considered this a big win. But again and always, [00:17] they're wrong. Here's why. [ MUSIC ] First, [00:25] the subjects excluded from the study had no birth [00:28] certificates available. Meaning data on their mother's [00:31] age, race and more could not be confirmed. And that [00:35] information was vital for the work the investigators [00:38] were doing, More important, the people criticizing the [00:42] research make the familiar mistake of confusing [00:45] associated with causation. While it's true that the study [00:48] did find a slightly higher rate of autism among some [00:52] kids vaccinated between 24 and 36 months of age, it's [00:56] almost certain that those children were already autistic [00:59] and were vaccinated later as part of a basic health [01:02] requirement for attending special education program [01:05] [ MUSIC ] programs. If you join the Army and get a [01:08] mandatory crewcut before basic training, you don't [01:12] then conclude that military service causes baldness. [01:16] Finally, the narrator of a disgraceful web video [01:20] spreading the rumors about the study is Andrew [01:22] Wakefield. The British researcher whose fraudulent [01:26] 1998 paper falsely linking vaccines to autism [01:30] got the entire got the entire anti- vaccine mess started. [01:34] Wakefield has had his license to practice medicine [01:37] revoked in the UK. And is hardly in a position to be [01:40] offering opinions on anything at all. So for the billionth [01:44] time, vaccines are safe, effective and vitally [01:49] important. Rumor mongering, on the other hand, can [01:52] kill. 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