The Brady Bunch star Maureen McCormick's fury at anti-vaxxers for sharing clips of the 1970s sitcom to downplay the measles outbreak
- In an episode of The Brady Bunch titled, 'Is There a Doctor in the House?' McCormick's character, Marcia, came down sick with measles
- In the show, Marcia quipped, 'If you have to get sick, sure can't beat the measles'
- That scene is now being used by anti-vaccination advocated to downplay the seriousness of the current measles outbreak in the US
- McCormick said the lighthearted portrayal of the viral disease doesn't match reality, she's upset by the use of her image and she had her daughter vaccinated
- The US has reported 704 cases of measles this year through April 26
The Brady Bunch star Maureen McCormick is upset over anti-vaccination advocates using an episode of the 1970s sitcom to make light of the recent measles outbreak.
In an episode titled, 'Is There a Doctor in the House?' McCormick's character, Marcia, came down sick with measles and quipped, 'If you have to get sick, sure can't beat the measles.'
McCormick, 62, is now upset that the lighthearted portrayal of the viral disease, which she said doesn't match reality, is being touted by anti-vaxxers as evidence that concern over the illness is overblown.
'I think it's really wrong when people use people's images today to promote whatever they want to promote and the person's image they're using they haven't asked or they have no idea where they stand on the issue,' McCormick told NPR, adding, 'As a mother, my daughter was vaccinated.'
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The Brady Bunch star Maureen McCormick is upset over anti-vaccination advocates using an episode of the 1970s sitcom to make light of a recent measles outbreak across the U.S. A meme from the show (pictured) features McCormick's character of Marcia saying, 'If you have to get sick, sure can't beat the measles'
But McCormick, who had her daughter vaccinated, said the show's portrayal did not comport with reality, and that 'having the measles was not a fun thing'
The U.S. is currently experiencing the largest outbreak of the measles in over a decade, surpassing the previous high of 667 cases reported five years ago, in 2014.
There have been 704 reported cases of measles in the U.S. this year in 22 states, through April 26, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
A total of nine percent of those cases have resulted in hospitalizations.
An outbreak is defined by the CDC as three or more reported cases, with the U.S. currently experiencing outbreaks in New York City and Rockland County in the state of New York, as well as in New Jersey, Michigan, and California's Butte County.
The U.S. is currently experiencing the largest outbreak of the measles in over a decade, surpassing the previous high of 667 cases reported five years ago, in 2014. There have been 704 reported cases of measles in the U.S. this year in 22 states, through April 26, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), as shown in this chart
In an early episode of the series which ran from 1969-1974, The Brady Bunch portrays the sickness as no big deal, when Peter (Christopher Knight) gets sent home from school with the measles.
Carol Brady (Florence Henderson) calls her husband, Mike (Robert Reed), and tells him Peter has 'a slight temperature, a lot of dots and a great big smile,' thanks to having a few days off from school to recover.
Later, after Marcia, played by McCormick, catches the measles from her siblings she says, 'If you have to get sick, sure can't beat the measles,' while the four oldest Brady children play Monopoly on one of their beds.
In an early episode of the series which ran from 1969-1974, The Brady Bunch portrays the sickness as no big deal at all, when Peter (Christopher Knight, right) gets sent home from school with the measles. Carol Brady (Florence Henderson, center) calls her husband and tells him Peter has 'a slight temperature, a lot of dots and a great big smile,' thanks to having a few days off from school to recover
Later, after Marcia played by McCormick catches the measles from her siblings she says, 'If you have to get sick, sure can't beat the measles,' while the four oldest Brady children play Monopoly on one of their beds
That moment has turned into a meme, shared by people who oppose vaccinating children.
Dr. Toni Bark, who has fashioned herself as an expert on the anti-vaccination movement by testifying in court and at public hearings across the country in promotion of the agenda, has cited the show to support her stance.
'You stayed home like The Brady Bunch show. You stayed home. You didn't go to the doctor,' Bark has said. 'We never said, "Oh my God, your kid could die. Oh my God, this is a deadly disease." It's become that.'
Other memes have also circulated, using the episode as fodder for the movement.
Other memes have also circulated, using the episode as fodder for the movement
But McCormick said the cheery disposition of the Bradys in the episode doesn't match reality.
'Having the measles was not a fun thing,' she said. 'I remember it spread through my family.'
Most of the people who contract measles will be fine after the virus runs its course, but complications can arise.
'There is no specific medicine to treat the measles virus. Most of the time, people with measles will get better on their own,' according to the New York City Department of Health.
A vaccine first became available against the measles in 1963. In the ten years leading up to that medical development, the (CDC) estimates that nearly all children contracted the virus by the age of 15, and a total of 3 to 4 million people in the United States were infected each year.
Among reported cases each of those years, it's estimated 400 to 500 people died, 48,000 were hospitalized, and 1,000 suffered encephalitis (swelling of the brain).
When the episode of The Brady Bunch dealing with the measles came out in 1969, the CDC reported more than 25,000 measles cases and 41 deaths.
In 1989, doctors realized that a second dose of the measles vaccine boosted immunity.
'The first dose is about 93-percent effective at preventing the illness,' pediatrican Dr. Daniel Lichtmann told NBC-LA. He noted that the second dose boosts immunity to 97 percent.
Many children in school after that time have already been required to get a booster shot to vaccinate against measles. That shot would have been combined with vaccines against Mumps and Rubella and referred to as an MMR shot, as explained by the CDC.
LIchtman has recommended that people born between 1957 and 1989 get their immunity checked with a blood test to determine whether they are in need of vaccination against measles, or simply get the shot to be safe.
The son of Sherwood Schwartz, who created the show and passed away in 2011, said his father would also be upset that the show is being used to promote an anti-vaccination agenda.
'Dad would be sorry, because he believed in vaccination, had all of his kids vaccinated,' Lloyd J. Schwartz said.
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There have been 390 confirmed cases of measles in Brooklyn and Queens since October through April 24, NYC DOH said.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a state of emergency on April 9, which, he said, gave him the power to require vaccinations in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood, where many of the cases are concentrated.
City officials said those who refuse could face fines of up to $1,000 or six months in jail, according to New York Senate emergency laws.
In the case of the outbreak currently underway in New York City, some 29 people have been hospitalized, NPR reported. Six of those individuals were placed in intensive care and two people who have contracted the virus in recent weeks have been pregnant women, which adds additional risks. One flight attendant who contracted measles on a flight from NYC to Tel Aviv wound up in a coma from measles complications.
Michael Sussman, a civil rights lawyer, said there are not enough cases to warrant a state of emergency, and that the move by de Blasio unlawfully targets religious groups. Sussman recently filed a lawsuit against the order in Brooklyn federal court.
Public health law experts have said the case could swing either way; it will all rest on how deadly a judge believes measles to be.
New York City's Law Department spokeserson Nicholas Paolucci said: 'We had to take this additional action to fulfill our obligation to ensure that individuals do not continue to put the health of others at risk, the New York Post reported.
He added, 'The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the right of states and localities to mandate vaccines to stop outbreaks.'
The son of Sherwood Schwartz, who created the show and passed away in 2011, said his father would be join McCormick in being upset with the show being used to promote an anti-vaccination agenda. 'Dad would be sorry, because he believed in vaccination, had all of his kids vaccinated,' Lloyd J. Schwartz said. The cast of The Brady Bunch is pictured
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- MMR Vaccination | What You Should Know | Measles, Mumps, Rubella | CDC
