During a segment about this season’s deadly flu on Fox & Friends this Monday, co-host Brian Kilmeade took the opportunity to spread anti-vaccine propaganda.
During the segment, practicing internist and Fox News contributor Dr. Marc Siegel discussed why the current flu season is particularly dangerous and why viewers should make sure to get their flu shots.
“The flu shot, which I still say everybody out there should get, is about 30-percent effective, but it actually decreases spread around the household, it decreases severity, and it’s very smart to get it,” Dr. Siegel said.. “Of the children that have died, 80 percent of them in the past hadn’t gotten a flu shot.”
When Siegel asked the show’s hosts if they’ve had their flu shots yet, all except Kilmeade confirmed that they did.
“No, I have not gotten one,” Kilmeade replied.
When Dr. Siegal joked that he would try to get Kilmeade his vaccination off-air, Kilmeade commented on the fact that the flu shot is only 30 percent effective this year.
“You have to protect your girls,” Siegel countered.
“Alright,” Kilmeade responded. “But they’ve got to build up their immunity, too.”
Whether it was due to time constraints or just pure frustration, Dr. Siegel didn’t challenge Kilmeade on his last ignorant comment.
The idea that forgoing vaccinations allows people to “build up immunity” to infectious diseases is a long-debunked anti-vaxxer talking point. For Kilmeade to feed that dangerous disinformation to his audience is unforgivable.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the flu kills an average of 6,309 to 23,607 people a year.
Watch the video below:
Featured image via screen grab
