Anti-Vaccination Woo on the Rise: What the are the implications?

[LightinDarkness]

There seems to be a increase in the number of nutjobs promoting the anti-vaccination cause - more now than I can ever recall. I suspect its because of the swine flu hysteria, but I wonder if its growing enough to have implications for public health?

Although I don't think the swine flu will turn out to be an issue, it has not been so far and is not likely to, we will probably face some sort of swine flu-like pandemic in our lifetime. As the anti-vaccination woo grows and more believe in it, I could see this really becoming a problem. After all, if enough people refuse to get shots because they buy the anti-vaccination propaganda it means diseases will be more easily spread. CTers trumpet this as an issue of "personal freedom" but it isn't personal when your decision not to take a perfectly safe vaccine brings harm to others.

I also think there is a problem for medical personnel who might have to give those shots. Over on ATS, David Icke's forums, Infowars, and other places I see legions of CTs proclaiming they will use deadly force to stop from getting vaccinated. People willing to kill other people in order to stop taking something that will help them and others.

How do how you can deal with the crazies on this one? Obviously they are not fazed by the evidence...

[jaydeehess]

http://community.theblackvault.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1400&p=20938#p20938

Discusses, at least it posts the claims of,Jane Burgermeister that the latest pandemic scare is designed to allow TPTB to cause mass deaths in the USA by contaminating the vaccination with the death dealing illness.

Like no one will notice that those who buck the system and don't get vaccinated seem to do Ok while those who do get the first round of shots are dropping like flies.:rolleyes:

[Mikister]

Actually, while the typical media sensationalism surrounding the disease has faded, the spread is becoming considerably more serious, but too boring to pay attention to.

Perhaps the best response to the anti-vaccination crowd is to simply keep offering evidence to the contrary and expose the inane beliefs of the main proponents, for example, Jenny McCarthy believing that her child is of the indigo variety, thought to posses psychic evolutionary advancements. Later she admitted that she mistook her child's autism for telepathy. Also expose the logical fallacy of correlation and causation, commonly used to imply that rising vaccination rates correlate with rising autism rates.

While most may ignore such measures, perhaps there are a few who can be persuaded by evidence.

[dudalb]

That Jenny McCarthy's campaign is taken seriiously by the media is a sad commentary on how far a pretty face will get you nowdays.
At times I think we need to get somebody drop dead gorgeous advocating the scientific viewpoint to get any traction whatever.

[Thunder]

well, if enough nuts don't take the vaccine and get Piggy Flu, that means they would have contributed to the world-wide spread of a pandemic flu.

such a crime, deserves immediate internship into a FEMA camp and suspension of all Wii privileges.

[fuelair]

There seems to be a increase in the number of nutjobs promoting the anti-vaccination cause - more now than I can ever recall. I suspect its because of the swine flu hysteria, but I wonder if its growing enough to have implications for public health?

Although I don't think the swine flu will turn out to be an issue, it has not been so far and is not likely to, we will probably face some sort of swine flu-like pandemic in our lifetime. As the anti-vaccination woo grows and more believe in it, I could see this really becoming a problem. After all, if enough people refuse to get shots because they buy the anti-vaccination propaganda it means diseases will be more easily spread. CTers trumpet this as an issue of "personal freedom" but it isn't personal when your decision not to take a perfectly safe vaccine brings harm to others.

I also think there is a problem for medical personnel who might have to give those shots. Over on ATS, David Icke's forums, Infowars, and other places I see legions of CTs proclaiming they will use deadly force to stop from getting vaccinated. People willing to kill other people in order to stop taking something that will help them and others.

How do how you can deal with the crazies on this one? Obviously they are not fazed by the evidence...

Darwin by ten lengths.:)

[jhunter1163]

That Jenny McCarthy's campaign is taken seriiously by the media is a sad commentary on how far a pretty face will get you nowdays.
At times I think we need to get somebody drop dead gorgeous advocating the scientific viewpoint to get any traction whatever.

Kari Byron for Science!

[dudalb]

Kari Byron for Science!
:D
:j2:

[CptColumbo]

I actually just got a tetanus shot and feel per...ALL HAIL THE SUPREME OVERLORD ZARBOOGLIE!..fectly fine. My arm was sore for a couple days though.

[Robster, FCD]

Implications? More disease. More death. More suffering. Whooping cough is already endemic in some antivax friendly areas like Boulder, CO.

I have a feeling that it will change when we start seeing more quarantines of non-vaccinated kids when we see outbreaks of diseases like measles, as happened in San Diego, CA (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5708a3.htm). I think there was a similar quarantine in Wisconsin for a measles outbreak. The hardcore antivaxers will paint themselves as martyrs. The more impartial observers will vaccinate.

Act 1 of this episode (http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio_episode.aspx?sched=1275) of This American Life is about the San Diego outbreak, and how it affected one family. It should be required listening for new parents, IMHO.

[Stellafane]

This stuff will stop when (and I'm predicting right now that it will indeed happen) a non-vaccinated child dies, and the parents sue Jenny McCarthy. We can argue all day as to whether or not said parents have any sort of case, but I think it's all but inevitable, especially when you factor in the potential lure of the Carrey millions. This of course will result in a trite Ms. McCarthy reading a prepared statement claiming it was all a mistake, that she actually sees the value of vaccinations and never meant for anyone to put their child at risk, thus blithely negating the main purpose of her life over the last five years like Pam's dream on "Dallas." This is all so tiresomely predictable that I'm not even going to claim the million dollars when this happens.

[LightinDarkness]

Thanks for the great responses - I know the implications if we do nothing about anti-vaxxers are death, disease, children dying, etc. but is the consensus that we will wait that long before doing something about it?

I am unsure of where the correct way to go with it government wise would be. At the least, if we have a outbreak of some sort of disease that vaccines can/have prevented then the parents should be liable for criminal charges of 1st degree murder or conspiracy to murder. But is that enough to stop the insanity from growing?

The media it seems has treated the anti-vaxx woos far to kindly. There has been no media outlet that I am aware of which has been critical of the celebrity anti-vaxxers, and the coverage they get has been generally positive.

[Toke]

This stuff will stop when (and I'm predicting right now that it will indeed happen) a non-vaccinated child dies, and the parents sue Jenny McCarthy. We can argue all day as to whether or not said parents have any sort of case, but I think it's all but inevitable, especially when you factor in the potential lure of the Carrey millions. This of course will result in a trite Ms. McCarthy reading a prepared statement claiming it was all a mistake, that she actually sees the value of vaccinations and never meant for anyone to put their child at risk, thus blithely negating the main purpose of her life over the last five years like Pam's dream on "Dallas." This is all so tiresomely predictable that I'm not even going to claim the million dollars when this happens.

I am afraid you are too optimistic.