Anti-Vaxxer Sympathy

[Aroura]

Actually, I know a lot of people who refuse to immunize.  I live in Oregon.  A lot of people here think it is "unnatural" and prefer homoeopathy or naturopathy. I suppose that is distrust for organized medicine, but Oregon has very good public health care for the poor (I know, I've been homeless here and I was still able to get basic healthcare).

What you define as being "basic healthcare" might be enough to satisfy your health needs. However other people might have a different point of view when it comes to whether their health needs are met or not.

All throughout history people have been putting their trust and care into the local 'wizard' and his alternative health services. There are plenty of examples in history where poor people in the middle ages, or earlier, refused the care a physician even when a physician would offer their services below the cost of the local wizard. We now know that this is primarily due to inequitable access to health services: that is the wizard and his alternative practise accepts anyone, but the physician cares for the middle and upper class people in the main.

Education is one barrier, but it's not the only one. I've mentioned three just in this one post: education, equitable access, and addressing patient needs. In previous posts I've repeatedly mentioned fear and mistrust as well as another prominent well-recognised barrier.

Haha, no.  I'm disabled.  I need quite a lot of healthcare.

Anyway, what exactly is your point?  It sounds like you are defending anti-vaxxers by listing these barriers, but not giving us any ideas of how to address those issues (and also, no, not everyone has those issues.  Actually, statistically speaking, here in Oregon at least, many of those who opt out for non-medical reason are middle class and up, not poor, have plenty of education AND access to whatever health care they would like). So the whole local wizard thing isn't it.  

I swear to you, some people do it because it's the cool fad.  I can share some FB posts with you from some of my "friends", who are clearly not vaccinating, because it's cool to be all anti-establishment.  

The only serious anti-vaxxers I know have good educations and good jobs (excluding one native American couple I know), and just love to talk and talk about how awsome their alternative medicine is.  And they pay a BUTTLOAD for that alternative medicine.  Certainly more than the FREE clinic would cost for the poor ones.

I guess this annoys me especiialy because I know soooo many people who are anti-vaxxers.  My dad rents a room from a lady who MAKES homeopathic "medicine" and will lecture everyone on the evils of modern medicine.  Even things like Tylonol!  She said to my dad after his hip surgery that he wasn't in pain for lack of codien (Well freaking duh), and talked him out of taking it, until he called me in tears. 
And she's far from poor.  I just feel surrounded, I guess.  Sorry, I get defensive over it.

It appears that the new law here to FORCE education on people is working, as are laws elsewhere that prevent your child from going to school unless you get them vaccinated. So as much as I hate it, seems like government forced education and vaccinations are the most effective thing for the subset of people who refuse to listen to reason.