Only when enough of these ant-vaxxers lose children to these diseases will they reverse course. Then they will blame the experts again for not warning them. I have a 2 yo great-nephew and I shudder to think of him getting some disease that we were close to wiping out. Are there no people left alive that remember polio?
Polio still circulates in Afghanistan and Pakistan
On May 2, 2011, President Barack Obama announced that the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had located and killed Osama Bin Laden. The agency organised a fake hepatitis vaccination campaign in Abottabad, Pakistan, in a bid to obtain DNA from the children of Bin Laden, to confirm the presence of the family in a compound and sanction the rollout of a risky and extensive operation. Release of this information has had a disastrous effect on worldwide eradication of infectious diseases, especially polio.
The interesting thing about polio, is if I understand it right, it’s very similar to covid in terms of what a non serious case looks like in additon to asymptomatic people. It would easily be brushed off as not serious.
If Polio killed people like covid, and didn’t give the public the chance to see the damage it does with all these paralyzed people on the streets, I don’t know if we’d ever have a chance of stopping it.
It’s hard to argue with kids in wheelchairs vs deaths of people you don’t know.
Science: We’ve eradicated many diseases through vaccines!
Republicans: Hold my beer!
Unfortunately, this particular brand of dumb has found a home on both sides of the isle. Part of the reason it’s been so successful at proliferating and creating problems with reemerging diseases.
Going back maybe a decade or so I remember most anti-vaxers I encountered being real crunchy-granola, hippie liberal types, often the types who would go on about natural remedies, crystals, etc. There was the odd conservative looney in the bunch, but they were more of a fringe minority.
I haven’t personally encountered many of them liberal types lately, it definitely seems like there’s been a pretty significant shift. I’m absolutely certain they’re still out there, but at least in my area in the sorts of groups I’m tuned into, they’ve become a minority.
Annecdotally, I used to have a pretty good track record for being able to sway people’s opinions on vaccines. I have a enough things going for me on both sides of the aisle that liberals and conservatives will both usually give me the benefit of the doubt and a bit of a reputation among people who know me for being fairly knowledgeable about a lot of things. Since the pandemic, that’s not really the case, everyone’s opinion is pretty much set in stone at this point. I have had a couple people I know thank me for straightening them out before COVID hit though so it’s nice to know my lessons stuck and who knows, maybe even saved a life or two.
COVID was just a warmup, there’s going to be all sorts of fun stuff with all the tropical stuff moving into broader regions.
Honestly, this is what scares the fuck out of me. I feel like COVID was just a sample of what’s to come. Between anti-vaxxers and climate change we are going to be in for a wild ride.
I think it is a mixed bag. Maybe there are people who are god damn idiots especially looking at these parents trying to deny “proven” vaccines, this isn’t a comment on the covid vaccines, I’m vaxxed and had the most recent booster but I can at least in a way understand people’s fear around it. I think Covid was able to slip on by because “2% VeRy SmAlL NuMbEr, StOp BeInG CoWaRdS!” maybe I’m wrong and this whole thing was a trial run for the next super bug that will come out in the coming decade but I think a disease with a mortality rate comparable to the black death (30-60%) with a spreadability of covid though may lead to people taking it slightly more seriously. There will be obvious exceptions, hell I imagine many industrial leaders will still push the front line staff saying its “fake news” so they keep making profit while not caring about their people. Then again a disease with that kind of mortality rate would probably collapse modern society for better or worse at the bare minimum greatly reform it, the after effects of black death are fascinating read.
The antivaxxers “science and logic” will kill children and adults in all communities.
Sadly enough, that problem will take care of itself eventually. Unfortunately it also means that people will suffer who had no say in this or may actually not be eligible for vaccinations.
I dunno, plenty of people continue to do pointlessly unhealthy things despite consequences.
Well, they say the best way to learn is from experience… ¯\__ _ __ (ツ) __ _ __/¯
O’Leary points out that while vaccines have been used as political tools in recent years, most parents care more about what their medical provider says than any politician. Talking to parents at health visits about the importance of vaccines is important.
Lol my brother just moved doctors until he found one that he said “wasn’t allowed to advise me not to get vaccinated but it was clear with how he talked to me”. Pretty sure he just shopped around until he found someone willing to or accidentally spoke in code to him to feed his confirmation bias.
That’s assuming we have a working health care system, and people can afford to see the doctor regularly. :/
Our pediatrician approached the question of COVID vaccination for my daughter very gently with me. As soon as she started I saw her demeanor change and I could tell she was getting ready to change course quickly (presumably) in case I went off on a rant or something.
She immediately snapped back to normal when I told her “Absolutely, yes, if she can get it let’s make it happen.” We had just been waiting for it to be available.
I feel bad for what she likely had to deal with from others. She’s a fricking doctor, trying her best to keep children healthy, and now she is clearly getting enough shit from some parents that she’s gunshy about even bringing up certain important topics. It’s crazy.
As far as I’m concerned, if you opt your kid out of vaccines for any reason besides sound medical concern, you should also be opting your kid out of public education.
I shouldn’t have to put my kids at risk because the people in your dumb little church group are too stupid to inoculate their offspring.
