00:00Welcome to Fun Fact Check, the show where we take viral rumors and hold them up to the light to see which ones melt.
00:06Today we're talking about measles, a disease that might sound old school, but it's still very real and very serious.
00:12Fun fact, measles is just a harmless childhood illness.
00:15You'd get sick for a few days and then you'd be immune for life.
00:19This is false. Measles used to be common, but that never made it safe.
00:23The CDC says it can cause pneumonia, brain swelling, and even death, especially in young kids.
00:28The WHO reports that tens of thousands of people still die from measles each year, mostly those who aren't vaccinated.
00:34People only think it was harmless because it was everywhere, not because it was mild.
00:38Fun fact, you can only catch measles through direct contact.
00:42This is also false. Many illnesses spread through close contact, so people assume measles works the same way.
00:47But the CDC explains that measles is airborne, and it can stay in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves.
00:53The WHO calls it one of the most contagious viruses on Earth.
00:56Fun fact, you can get measles from the vaccine.
00:59Believe it or not, this one is false.
01:01The CDC and the WHO both confirmed that the MMR vaccine uses a weakened virus that cannot cause measles in healthy people.
01:07This rumor started with old studies that were later proven wrong,
01:11but pieces of those claims spread online and turned into a myth that stuck around long after the science disproved it.
01:16Fun fact, measles weakens your immune system long term.
01:20This is true. Research published in science supported by CDC findings shows that measles can erase your immune system's memory,
01:27making you more likely to get sick from other infections later.
01:29So the next time you go to share a fun fact, make sure you check your sources.
01:33What fun facts should we check next?
01:35Drop your thoughts in the comments and follow us here for more.
