Anti-Vaxxers Make Me Sick
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There are many issues on which intelligent, educated, honest people can reasonably disagree. The safety and efficacy of vaccines is not one of them. It took me a while to jump on this bandwagon because I honestly didn't realize so many people believed the nonsense about vaccines causing autism or being pushed on us by "Big Pharma" and defended by shills. Unfortunately I had overestimated humanity, as I often used to do, and others pay the price for their idiocy.
For decades, the science behind vaccines has been demonstrated over and over again both in the laboratory and, far more importantly, in the real world. Few scientific topics have been studied or proven more thoroughly. My religion, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is also pro-vaccine as it helps to provide vaccines for millions of people in impoverished countries, but that isn't good enough for anti-vaxxer Mormons who like so many others pick and choose which parts of their religion to accept. I'm probably wasting my time here since all anti-vaxxer claims have been addressed in detail many times and the anti-vaxxers have demonstrated that they aren't willing to let reality interfere with their worldview, but I want to lend my voice to the others speaking out.
Vaccines can have harmful side effects.
You know what? This is actually true. It's actually possible that something bad could happen to you or your child as a result of getting vaccinated. However, if you're seriously worried about this then you aren't really grasping probability very well. You have a much greater chance of being injured or killed in a car crash. Are you terrified of being inside a car? You have a greater chance of choking to death on your food. Are you terrified of eating? The world is full of risks in virtually everything. Humans need to be rational about weighing risks and deciding which ones are worth taking.
Vaccines cause autism.
Once upon a time, an unscrupulous scientist named Andrew Wakefield purported to show a link between vaccines and autism in a highly flawed "study". When his practices were uncovered, he was disavowed and stripped of his license. Since that time thousands of studies have failed to find any link whatsoever, including those that were funded by anti-vaxxer groups for the specific purpose of finding said link. But for some reason, people continue to believe Andrew Wakefield, because why? Maybe they just need someone to blame for giving their children autism, and vaccines are a good target because they'd rather their children died of preventable diseases instead. For more information, please visit howdovaccinescauseautism.com.
Modern anti-vaccine figureheads have followed in Wakefield's footsteps. Unfortunately, since they don't have the same credentials, they haven't faced the same repercussions. They're in the same category of monster as the guy who encouraged parents to make their autistic children drink bleach as a "cure", and the anti-vaxxers who believe them are in the same category of accomplice as the parents who did so and then when their children crapped out their intestinal linings said, "Look, parasites! It's working!"
For decades, the science behind vaccines has been demonstrated over and over again both in the laboratory and, far more importantly, in the real world. Few scientific topics have been studied or proven more thoroughly. My religion, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is also pro-vaccine as it helps to provide vaccines for millions of people in impoverished countries, but that isn't good enough for anti-vaxxer Mormons who like so many others pick and choose which parts of their religion to accept. I'm probably wasting my time here since all anti-vaxxer claims have been addressed in detail many times and the anti-vaxxers have demonstrated that they aren't willing to let reality interfere with their worldview, but I want to lend my voice to the others speaking out.
Vaccines can have harmful side effects.
You know what? This is actually true. It's actually possible that something bad could happen to you or your child as a result of getting vaccinated. However, if you're seriously worried about this then you aren't really grasping probability very well. You have a much greater chance of being injured or killed in a car crash. Are you terrified of being inside a car? You have a greater chance of choking to death on your food. Are you terrified of eating? The world is full of risks in virtually everything. Humans need to be rational about weighing risks and deciding which ones are worth taking.
Vaccines cause autism.
Once upon a time, an unscrupulous scientist named Andrew Wakefield purported to show a link between vaccines and autism in a highly flawed "study". When his practices were uncovered, he was disavowed and stripped of his license. Since that time thousands of studies have failed to find any link whatsoever, including those that were funded by anti-vaxxer groups for the specific purpose of finding said link. But for some reason, people continue to believe Andrew Wakefield, because why? Maybe they just need someone to blame for giving their children autism, and vaccines are a good target because they'd rather their children died of preventable diseases instead. For more information, please visit howdovaccinescauseautism.com.
Modern anti-vaccine figureheads have followed in Wakefield's footsteps. Unfortunately, since they don't have the same credentials, they haven't faced the same repercussions. They're in the same category of monster as the guy who encouraged parents to make their autistic children drink bleach as a "cure", and the anti-vaxxers who believe them are in the same category of accomplice as the parents who did so and then when their children crapped out their intestinal linings said, "Look, parasites! It's working!"
Kids need to get harmless childhood diseases to build up a natural immunity.
Sure, natural immunity works great, if you aren't dead. People in first-world countries have the luxury (thanks to vaccines) of being this complacent and ignorant, and forgetting that just a few decades ago, these "harmless childhood diseases" were killing and crippling thousands of people. Of course, in third-world countries, some of them still are.
Sure, natural immunity works great, if you aren't dead. People in first-world countries have the luxury (thanks to vaccines) of being this complacent and ignorant, and forgetting that just a few decades ago, these "harmless childhood diseases" were killing and crippling thousands of people. Of course, in third-world countries, some of them still are.
If vaccines are so effective, why do you need us to get vaccinated to protect you?
Some people can't get vaccinated, such as infants who are too young and people with compromised immune systems. They rely on others to get vaccinated so that dangerous diseases don't spread through the population and endanger them, and they shouldn't have to live in fear of suffering and/or because of your failure to grasp obvious concepts.
Some people can't get vaccinated, such as infants who are too young and people with compromised immune systems. They rely on others to get vaccinated so that dangerous diseases don't spread through the population and endanger them, and they shouldn't have to live in fear of suffering and/or because of your failure to grasp obvious concepts.
Vaccinated people have a far higher rate of infection.
Sigh. No, they freaking don't.
Sigh. No, they freaking don't.
Vaccines have dangerous chemicals in them.
People these days are very ignorant about chemicals and often define "dangerous" as whatever has a scary-sounding name that they can't pronounce. A few key facts to keep in mind: literally everything is made of chemicals, the dosage makes the poison, and many "dangerous" chemicals are found naturally in your body (did I mention that literally everything is made of chemicals?). Claims like "vaccines have mercury in them" are highly misleading - some vaccines have thimerosal to prevent germs from growing in them, and thimerosal is not the same thing as the mercury that makes people sick. And (spoiler alert) it doesn't cause autism, either. In response to outrage from ignorant people and not to any actual evidence of harm, thimerosal was removed from most infant vaccines in 2001, meaning that vials can't be reused and the impoverished people in third world countries now have to pay more to get vaccinated. Thanks for that.
People these days are very ignorant about chemicals and often define "dangerous" as whatever has a scary-sounding name that they can't pronounce. A few key facts to keep in mind: literally everything is made of chemicals, the dosage makes the poison, and many "dangerous" chemicals are found naturally in your body (did I mention that literally everything is made of chemicals?). Claims like "vaccines have mercury in them" are highly misleading - some vaccines have thimerosal to prevent germs from growing in them, and thimerosal is not the same thing as the mercury that makes people sick. And (spoiler alert) it doesn't cause autism, either. In response to outrage from ignorant people and not to any actual evidence of harm, thimerosal was removed from most infant vaccines in 2001, meaning that vials can't be reused and the impoverished people in third world countries now have to pay more to get vaccinated. Thanks for that.
Vaccines haven't been properly studied and/or aren't properly tested.
Vaccines go through an almost absurd amount of testing, as outlined by the CDC, and you can receive a hefty financial compensation for vaccine-related injury without even proving that your injury was, in fact, related to a vaccine. The fact that most of them have worked pretty well for the last several decades should count for something too.
Vaccines go through an almost absurd amount of testing, as outlined by the CDC, and you can receive a hefty financial compensation for vaccine-related injury without even proving that your injury was, in fact, related to a vaccine. The fact that most of them have worked pretty well for the last several decades should count for something too.
Vaccines are a conspiracy by Big Pharma and/or the government.
Right, "Big Pharma" and/or the government are able to buy off or threaten virtually every scientist and physician in the world, but it can't stop you from exposing its scam on Facebook or YouTube. That makes sense. And I distrust the government as much as anyone, but it's in their own best interest to keep the citizens safe and healthy. Dead people make good Democrat voters but they don't pay much in taxes. Do you think I'm a shill? I only wish I was being paid to do this. Or that, you know, I didn't need to.
Right, "Big Pharma" and/or the government are able to buy off or threaten virtually every scientist and physician in the world, but it can't stop you from exposing its scam on Facebook or YouTube. That makes sense. And I distrust the government as much as anyone, but it's in their own best interest to keep the citizens safe and healthy. Dead people make good Democrat voters but they don't pay much in taxes. Do you think I'm a shill? I only wish I was being paid to do this. Or that, you know, I didn't need to.
Follow the money.
Yeah, because "alternative" anti-vaxxer quack doctors don't make a penny from their products. Oh wait...
Do your research.
Googling until you find something that agrees with your preconceived notions, and ignoring everything else, is not "research".
I hope I have let people know in no uncertain terms where I stand and what the truth is. Vaccinate your freaking kids. Also, please watch this hilarious and true video from Jimmy Kimmel (thanks to Mija Danielle Jones for bringing it to my attention).
Yeah, because "alternative" anti-vaxxer quack doctors don't make a penny from their products. Oh wait...
Do your research.
Googling until you find something that agrees with your preconceived notions, and ignoring everything else, is not "research".
I hope I have let people know in no uncertain terms where I stand and what the truth is. Vaccinate your freaking kids. Also, please watch this hilarious and true video from Jimmy Kimmel (thanks to Mija Danielle Jones for bringing it to my attention).
