The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed concern over a measles epidemic in New Zealand, attributed to declining vaccination rates among Māori and Pacific communities due to an anti-vaccine movement and resistance to Western medicine. Following the country’s official measles elimination in 2017, the current vaccination rates have reached their lowest since 2012, raising alarms about potential outbreaks, particularly among high school students in various regions.
This decline in vaccination is seen as part of a broader trend of anti-science sentiments that have intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Professors Michael Mann and Peter Hotez, in their book Science Under Siege, argue that scientific disinformation has become a grave threat to public health. They connect issues surrounding climate change and vaccination, identifying key influential figures and organizations they refer to as the “five Ps”: plutocrats, petrostates, professionals, propagandists, and the press.
The authors critically address various public figures, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Naomi Wolf, who have promoted anti-vaccine narratives. They classify the rise of anti-science rhetoric as a major global security issue, emphasizing the need for urgent action to protect scientific integrity and public health.
As measles cases rise worldwide—exceeding 200,000 by mid-2025—the authors’ manifesto urges a response to combat the threats posed by misinformation, paralleling their fight against disinformation with historical struggles against fascism.
