Sunday, March 1, 2015

10 Anti Vaccination Contradictions That Baffle Me.

I've been having a lot of conversations and reading a lot of people's viewpoints when it comes to this new anti-vaccination movement in the US.   The same arguments seem to come up each time and I am beginning to get confused by what I am supposed to accept.

Here are some of the contradictions that I keep coming across.  I really don't know what to make of them as I try my best to understand this movement and what the logic of it all is.  I present them for consideration and further conversation:

#1

A) There is a very low chance of getting a deadly or damaging diseases in the US without vaccinations. It is an acceptable risk.

B) There is a very low chance of vaccination causing harm.  It is an unacceptable risk.

#2

A) Unnatural preventions for disease are bad because they don't help you build up natural immunities.

B) The reason we have less diseases in the US is because we prevented it with better sanitation and hygiene.  Not like those disease ridden third world countries who leave it all to natural immunities.

#3

A) Don't give me links to the CDC, The World Health Organization and articles by Doctors. They cannot be trusted because they have ulterior motives and it is all about making money.

B) Let me give you these links to articles by anti vaccine websites sponsored by advertising.  Let me show you this video of a Doctor giving an anti vaccine lecture as a paid speaking engagement.  Have you seen this video by a guy selling an anti vaccine book?

#4

A) It has never been proven with studies that vaccination programs have prevented diseases.

B) I don't believe in vaccinations because I have some anecdotes and some vague numbers I found about harm it causes.

#5

A) We can't trust the data from the CDC about reducing disease.   We can't trust the CDC about what procedures we should follow to lower our risk.

B) Let me show you some data from the CDC that shows that the risk of getting diseases today is lower than the risk of being harmed by vaccination.  I'm telling you it was actually the better sanitation and hygiene standards (the CDC created) that lowered disease.

#6

A) Look at this article showing that Andrew Wakefield was exonerated.

B) I don't care that the same article admits that Wakefield's study never claimed that vaccines lead to autism.

#7

A) The chances of getting a disease in America are very low so I don't need vaccinations.

B) There is no proof that 100 years of vaccination programs in America did anything to make me safer.

#8

A) I'm not putting my family at risk with vaccines.  That would make me a terrible person.

B) If my family puts your family at risk with a contagious disease, don't worry.   It's a natural vaccine.

#9

A) My doctor says that I should vaccinate my kids to prevent diseases but I don't believe him

B) My doctor says gluten may be causing problems and I totally believe him.  My family is now gluten free.

#10

A)   I believe vaccines are bad and nothing you say and no information you provide me is going to make me change my mind.

B) You really need to change your mind about the safety of vaccines.  You are being really stubborn by arguing with me on all 10 of my anti vax Facebook posts.  You are not open minded.  You are no longer my Facebook friend.