(First published 16th May, 2024 - Updated, 3rd February, 2025))
Stuffed and Petussis are at it again with their alarmist messages (Fear sells better than sex). I agree that RFK is dangerous. He is very dangerous to Big Pharma and all of those who suck on the teat of easy money that comes from hurting people and keeping us sick from the womb to the grave.
Please watch the hit job video that follows (Note that they have turned off comments — I wonder why?), then read what I wrote a few years ago in response to the misinformation and fear surrounding the measles outbreak in Samoa
Yes, there was a deadly outbreak of measles in Samoa in 2019. Yes, mothers and fathers in Samoa became vaccine-hesitant after two children died after receiving the vaccine. As a parent, I too, would have been hesitant at the time.
My partner, Alofa, is Samoan, and we are both extremely concerned about the parlous, and worsening state of nutrition in the Pacific Islands. Traditional growing and preparing of food is as good as extinct, with islanders now dependent on the worst junk food imaginable, leading to widespread malnutrition. WHO and UNICEF agree.
What the WHO and UNICEF Say About the Samoa Measles Outbreak and Malnutrition:
World Health Organization (WHO) and other health agencies have raised concerns about malnutrition among Samoan children, both in the context of the 2019 measles outbreak and in broader public health reports.
Malnutrition and the 2019 Measles Outbreak
During the 2019 measles epidemic in Samoa, WHO and UNICEF highlighted malnutrition as a key factor contributing to the high mortality rate, especially among infants and young children. Many of the children who died were undernourished, making them more vulnerable to severe complications from measles, such as:
Severe dehydration
Pneumonia
Vitamin A deficiency, which increases measles severity
Weakened immune response
Malnutrition Concerns in Samoa
Samoa, like many Pacific Island nations, faces a double burden of malnutrition:
Undernutrition – affecting some children, particularly in lower-income households.
Overnutrition & Obesity — Due to high consumption of processed foods, leading to high obesity rates, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
WHO and UNICEF have warned that poor diet and nutritional deficiencies are major concerns, particularly due to:
Reliance on imported, processed foods high in sugar, salt, and fat.
Declining consumption of traditional, nutrient-dense foods (e.g., fresh fish, taro, breadfruit, and coconut-based meals).
Economic hardship limiting access to quality nutrition.
Response Efforts
Following the measles outbreak, WHO, UNICEF, and the Samoan government:
Provided Vitamin A supplements to children to strengthen immunity.
Promoted breastfeeding to improve infant nutrition.
Launched nutrition education programs to encourage healthier eating habits.
Despite these efforts, Samoa still struggles with food security, economic pressures, and the continued influence of extremely processed foods in the local diet.
Summary For Busy People:
Dr. Nikki Turner, a prominent vaccination expert, has been advocating for increased measles vaccinations, citing the risk of severe illnesses returning. Gary Moller, the author, criticises using vaccines alone. He says it is important to address other problems like poverty, poor nutrition, and overcrowding, both in the Pacific Islands and New Zealand.
Gary argues that true health resilience comes from a holistic approach that tackles these root causes, rather than solely relying on pharmaceutical solutions.
Beating the Drums of Fear!
I see that our head vaccination expert, Dr Nikki Turner, is beating the drums of fear, urging everyone to get vaccinated against measles.
Read about it here on Stuff, one of the most glorious cheerleaders of vaccine misinformation:
Glory be - Dr Turner has a Big Pharma cure for poverty and malnutrition!
Let me ask you this:
Who, in your opinion, is more credible on this topic: a medical official with close ties to Big Pharma, or a health professional such as myself, with over 50 years service at the coal-face of health, a healthy multiple-age-group world champion, and whose other half of his family are a mix of Cook Islands, Samoan, and Tongan descent?
Measles, Poverty, and Malnutrition
There have been an alarming number of deaths in Samoa from measles (38 and rising). This is an absolute tragedy. For such a small population, how come the death rate has been so high? Low rates of immunisation do not fully explain this high rate of mortality, and it never will. There is more at play than the experts are telling us.
Although the crisis in Samoa is over, let's think about the main reasons Samoa had a very high death rate from what should be a harmless childhood illness for most children, and deal with them.
I will start this conversation with some travel pictures. Alofa and I have the goal of cycling the main islands of every Pacific Islands state. So far we have cycled Samoa, Tonga, Niue, Vanuatu, and Fiji. We have also done Bali. All of these islands, bar Niue, have a few things in common, and that is poverty and corruption, sometimes abject poverty — plus malnutrition.
So, what has this got to do with measles?
When you travel the islands by bike and live with the natives, you see many times how foreign tourist developments and farming operations take over the best land and reef. This is because these developments are taking away the best land and reef for farming. Young men and women leave the villages and congregate in the towns seeking a better life. Traditional ways of living, including food production and food preparation, are being seismically disrupted.
The displacement and impoverishment of native populations are best seen in the dramatic way that food has changed in just a few generations. Traditional foods such as whole fish, seaweeds, shellfish, crabs, coconut, taro and breadfruit have been displaced by white rice, flour, soft drinks, sugar, margarine, pork belly and, of course, KFC. Diseases of "modern day malnutrition" are now rampant in the islands. Tooth decay, obesity, thyroid disease, diabetes, heart disease and arthritis to name some.
Poverty in the Pacific Islands suits New Zealand and Australia. Without having thousands of desperately poor people on our doorsteps, who else is there to do our seasonal, labour-intensive, and back-breaking horticultural work in places like our vineyards and orchards? New Zealand and Australian workers will not do it. It is hard labour, repetitive, weather-dependent, and sometimes isolated. The pay is so low per hour and unreliable that nobody in their right mind will do it. Pacific Islanders will do it because they are desperate for any kind of work. They will do it for next to nothing. Seasonal labour from the islands enables New Zealand and Australia to produce cheap food and wine to sell to rich consumers. If there was no poverty on the islands, our horticulture industry would be in trouble. Food prices would climb while export profits would decline.
With this displacement and impoverishment of island populations comes things like overcrowding, poor sanitation, and malnutrition, sometimes affecting thousands of natives on a single island. Alofa and I have seen plenty of it. This produces the perfect conditions for the transmission of diseases such as typhoid and measles.
According to the World Health Organisation, " The impact of malnutrition on Samoa, and particularly on the children of Samoa, is shocking. "
Read more about what the World Health Organization says about the conditions in Samoa to understand why measles spread quickly throughout Samoa and why it killed so many people. You do not see these things in travel brochures, do you?
In New Zealand, like the islands, diseases like measles and their worst effects are closely linked to poverty. This is why measles outbreaks in New Zealand are mostly in places and ethnic groups with the lowest social economic status, like Polynesian people living in South Auckland. Refer here:
Rather than deal with the root causes, our Pacific neighbours must now add expensive vaccines to their list of imports of flour, sugar, and KFC. They have no choice because the horse of disease has already bolted. But once the outbreak has been contained, how about we deal with the root causes? I doubt we will see any changes. The changes we need are not good for business: not good for selling highly processed junk foods into the islands.
Healthy, well-nourished individuals within healthy populations get a disease, they resist it, they kill it, and they become even more robust in readiness for the next invader. This is not the case for Samoa and not for South Auckland.
If we are really serious about promoting good health then we would be doing much more to address poverty in all of its forms - and the exploitation that goes with it. Not just here in New Zealand but also in our Pacific neighbourhood.
For more reading about how to protect your family from measles and other viruses, in addition to vaccination, here is some reading that I have prepared for you:
There is not a vaccine for poverty.
Vaccines may be wonderful, but not on their own. Instead of this idea that good health can come from a single technology in isolation of other factors such as malnutrition, overcrowding and poor sanitation is bonkers. It serves only to increase the wealth and power of those who profit from ill health and social inequality.
Here is some more reading on the topic of nutrition in the Pacific Islands:
Conclusion:
While Dr. Nikki Turner and other experts advocate for vaccinations to combat measles, it is crucial to recognise that vaccines are not a panacea. The tragic measles outbreak in Samoa and the ongoing health challenges in New Zealand's impoverished communities underscore the need for a more comprehensive approach to public health.
Addressing fundamental issues like poverty, malnutrition, poor housing, and overcrowding is essential for building true health resilience. By focusing on these root causes, we can create a healthier future for both New Zealand and our Pacific Island neighbours. Only through holistic solutions that integrate improved nutrition and living conditions can we hope to prevent future outbreaks and promote lasting health.
"The pay is so low per hour and unreliable that nobody in their right mind will do it."
I understand your concerns, but Zespri and growers have worked hard to do the right thing: eg it ain't just wages; growers near us have built very good accommodation for seasonal workers; it all has to be to certified standards; some growers even go up to help with building work for these workers after a season is finished; the pay I would say is carefully monitored and overseen by govt agencies with great scrutiny; each grower has to do and pass a GAP assessment each year; a huge and burdensome task; if a grower is employing anyone, a huge part is documenting…
thanks Gary; this whole fight of measles in Samoa; it just goes on and on; why just Samoa: (I know you say malnutrition: terrible they are not growing their own food); some doubt the jabs have any efficacy; we are just not allowed to talk of these things; these medicines we are meant to worship and cannot question; this narrative that gets endlessly pushed;
thanks for detailing things in the Islands; much worse than I ever realised; thanks for enlightening us; "traditional foods .. have been displaced by white rice, flour, soft drinks, sugar, margarine, pork belly and, of course, KFC." tragic; how everywhere ..
.. meanwhile .. Carl Heneghan and Tom Jefferson are doing a fantastic job of reviewing…
I do not have a problem with vaccines per se as a health technology but I do have a serious problem with the way it is promoted as if vaccines will solve all our health problems and to the exclusion of all other health measures. Vaccines have their place in disease control but they are not the "Holy Grail" and never will be. They are just one tool of many.
Ignoring the primary reasons why disease runs rampant in populations (stress, malnutrition, poor sanitation etc) while pushing vaccines is just wrong when it comes to improving health.
Like antibiotics, vaccines are being overused and abused while other, supportive measures are being shut out. Simple things like ensuring all children ar…
I received this text message:
Hi Gary, just read your article on Measles in Samoa and would agree on what you have written and thank for speaking about what the majority find hard to accept.
Just one issue i couldn't work around was KFC as we don't have a KFC branch on island nor do we import it enough if you count (bringing KFC to Samoa as carry on for family and friends) to affect the majority of Samoans. Chicken and Turkey tail yes on the other hand. Its is being imported by the container loads. They bring in so much that chicken is around $2.5 WST per lb ($1.7NZD)
Found this article interesting in regards to imported waste foods.
You had me up to "vaccines are wonderful." The more than $4 billion awarded in compensation for vaccine injuries in the U.S. says otherwise.