In a 1969 episode of the TV classic “The Brady Bunch,” Marcia Brady, played by Marcia McCormick, and her five siblings all come down with measles at the same time. Wackiness ensues as the kids realize that having measles gives them a reason to miss school.
Nearly 50 years ago, it was possible to mine family-friendly comedy out of a highly contagious virus raging through one household.
But U.S. public officials didn’t think measles was funny, given that the virus could lead to pneumonia, encephalitis and even death. After pediatricians made a vigorous effort to urge parents to get their children vaccinated, officials were able to declare that measles had effectively been eliminated from the United States in 2000.
Now McCormick and others are watching with alarm as the virus returns to American communities. Since January, more than 700 cases of measles have been reported in 22 states, mostly affecting people who have never been given the MMR vaccine, which protects people form measles, mumps, and rubella, NPR reported.
As McCormick told NPR earlier this week, she has become especially concerned to find out that people have been using clips from the “Brady Bunch” measles episode, including a clip featuring Marcia, to promote an anti-vaccination ideology.
“I was really concerned with that and wanted to get to the bottom of that because I was never contacted,” McCormick, 62, told NPR. “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.”
The Season 1 episode, “Is There a Doctor in the House?” presents measles as a benign illness that only causes a mild fever and puts temporary red spots on the children’s faces. Mom Carol tells husband Mike that you can tell when a child has the measles: He wears a “great big smile” because he gets to stay home from school for a few days.
In the episode, oldest brother Greg declares, “This is the life!” while Marcia replies, “If you have to get sick, sure can’t beat the measles!”
Vaccination opponents have seized on Marcia’s line, and the presentation of measles in the episode, as “proof” that the virus was never a big deal when it was a common illness. They have created “Brady Bunch”-related memes to circulate on Facebook, Instagram and other social media.
“In the 60’s, the measles were thought of as a harmless disease that the body naturally eradicates forever once infected. Now it’s a MONSTROUS PLAGUE,” wrote a vaccine opponent who posted to YouTube a montage of the episode that he titled, “The Measles Couldn’t Kill the Brady Bunch.”
Click here if you’re having trouble viewing this video on a mobile device.
Another meme shows a photo of the entire Brady Bunch family, with the snarky caption, “Remember when the entire Brady Bunch was wiped out by measles?!!”
McCormick disputed the idea that having measles was like it was portrayed in the 1969 episode, telling NPR that she and her family dealt with it when she was young.
“Having the measles was not a fun thing. I remember it spread through my family,” she said.
McCormick also emphasized to NPR that she is pro-vaccination. “As a mother, my daughter was vaccinated,” she said.
McCormick isn’t the only person associated with “The Brady Bunch” who is upset by how that episode is being used by the anti-vaccination movement.
Lloyd J. Schwartz, the son of “Brady Bunch” creator Sherwood Schwartz, told NPR that his late father would not appreciate how the episode has spawned such memes. “Dad would be sorry because he believed in vaccination — had all of his kids vaccinated,” Lloyd Schwartz said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week that the U.S. is experiencing the greatest number of measles cases since 1994. NPR reported that the measles outbreak in New York City has put 29 people in the hospital, six of whom need intensive care. Two pregnant women have contracted the virus, which could cause severe complications for their babies.
The anti-vaccination movement tends to believe that the MMR vaccine is dangerous or not worth giving their children, Yahoo.com reported. However, the CDC says, “The MMR vaccine is very safe and effective. Two doses of MMR vaccine are about 97 percent effective at preventing measles; one dose is about 93% effective.”
