The word "marvelous" probably shouldn't be used to describe measles.
Author Stephanie Messenger is learning that the hard way. Her 2012 children's book Melanie's Marvelous Measles is getting renewed attention thanks to a recent deadly outbreak of measles in Disneyland in December. There have been more than 100 confirmed cases of the contagious virus across a dozen states.
The outbreak comes at the height of the growing anti-vaccine movement, which claims that vaccines are harmful, and could potentially cause autism, despite no scientific evidence. The California Department of Health has actively urged people to get vaccinated, because measles is "highly preventable through vaccinations."
[seealso slug="measles-cluster-day-care"]
Which brings us back to Melanie's Marvelous Measles, which currently has about 917 (and counting) reviews left on its Amazon page.
According to a note from the author/publisher on the page, this is what the book is about:
"...to educate children on the benefits of having measles and how you can heal from them naturally and successfully. Often today, we are being bombarded with messages from vested interests to fear all diseases in order for someone to sell some potion or vaccine, when, in fact, history shows that in industrialized countries, these diseases are quite benign and, according to natural health sources, beneficial to the body. Having raised three children vaccine-free and childhood disease-free, I have experienced many times when my children's vaccinated peers succumb to the childhood diseases they were vaccinated against. Surprisingly, there were times when my unvaccinated children were blamed for their peers' sickness. Something which is just not possible when they didn't have the diseases at all."
The reviews have not been kind.
"I weep for humanity that books like this are circulating," wrote reviewer Chrisoulla V. Rakowski.
Parents and sarcastic commenters alike took the opportunity to lambast the book.
"My infant daughter went blind after contracting measles from an unvaccinated child, and yet there's no braille version of this wonderful book for me to give her someday to explain to her how awesome the disease that took her sight away is," a reviewer named "Seabisquick" wrote.
"As a carpenter who specializes in itty bitty coffins I can't say enough good things about this book, my customer base has been growing at an epidemic rate!" commenter Sandra Bradley wrote.
"This is brilliant! It's pure inspiration! It's living proof that people who are too stupid to eat their breakfast cereal without poking their eye out with the spoon, can actually get a book published!" wrote commenter Dean Malandris.
"I didn't like this one as much as her follow up book, Larry's Amazing Lung Cancer," wrote commenter Stan Spaeth.
Messenger is definitely getting the message loud and clear: Measles? Not so marvelous after all.