Vaccinations in the antiscientific era. A reflection

[4ScienceYouMonster]

We are living in dark times for scientific progress. In a modern witch hunt of ignorance against knowledge, vaccinations represent one of the favourite targets for all the most atavic fears and retrograde beliefs of humankind. As a doctor, I’ve probably heard it all: people who just keep on believing in a 12-case study declared a hoax 20 years ago, even when studies on more than 600000 children prove the contrary; parents receiving death threats because they asked for the vaccination of their immunocompromised child’s classmates; parents who are still contrary to vaccinations after their own child spent more than a month between life and death due to a preventable disease; politicians bragging about sending their own children to pox parties.

I’m starting to think there is nothing, absolutely nothing we can do to make antivaxxers change their mind, but I see some light on the horizon. The youngest generations are less prone to irrational beliefs and prejudice, instead they are showing critical thinking and empathy. Kids are the ones asking for immunisation to protect that classmate who just got back from hospital. Kids are asking Reddit how to get their vaccinations done bypassing their parents’ authorisation. There is still hope for the future.

[Marigold111]

I beg to differ. I have done some research into this, and I have discovered that children are being a lot of unnecessary and unsafe vaccines these days. I am not saying they don't work at all; I am saying that they are being given too many needlessly, because there is big money to be made out of them, by drugs companies and doctors. Sorry, but it needs to be said. Apparently a good many of the old killer diseases started disappearing once humans had better housing, hygiene, sanitation, diet, etc. It was not due to the efficacy of vaccines so much. Another thing I have discovered is that vaccines shed, i.e. in the first few weeks after receiving the vaccine, the child is a walking virus, passing it on to other children! So in fact, someone is much more likely to be infected by a child who has just had the vaccine. There is also a direct link between the MMR vaccine and autism. A healthy immune system is the best defence against disease, not vaccination.

[rikemich823]

There is no direct link between the MMR vaccine and autism.  This is junk science, and the writer has actually had his medical license revoked.  I think this issue comes down to the amount of information available to people, and how much of it is unverified. People have a natural tendency to believe things that line up with their currently held beliefs and latch onto anything that supports it (confirmation bias). Unfortunately, the expansion of the internet has led to there being conflicting opinions on solidly determined issues (look up flat earthers for a good laugh)