De-Motivational

[Fidel_Castronaut]

I am to understand Fidel, that the anti-vaxers don't comprehend let alone understand the vaccination programs. Even with herd immunity our friend Ben here is still at risk (albeit much reduced) ..... How anti-vaxers think they can ride on the back of the herd immunity is now being brought down by the sheer number of infections from a lack of MMR immunisation. What next Polio?

Here in Oz we have had Whooping Cough (at alarming numbers) and are just waiting for the measles to begin; and while we still have high rates of childhood immunisation the fact that we have any of these cases at all is alarming.

It is disgusting, really. It's frustrating because many believe that what they are doing is protecting themselves and their children, but nothing could be further from the truth.

The way I see it you've got two different types of anti-vaccination advocates; The ones at the top who are propagating the message to line their own coffers (EG: Wakefield et al.) and the people who are hoodwinked into believing their message and then seek to futher propagate the message through all avaliable means.

You don't have to look far on Facebook here in the UK to see MMR skeptics lining up to defend the scumbag Wakefield, despite the fact his research has been soundly debunked by countless articles and he himself has been stricken off. These people are quick to jump n any conspiracy surrounding a vaccination, but turn a blind eye to the misery caused to people like Ben who, thanks to a drop in the heard immunity, become increasingly at risk of being compromised.

The solution:

1. Get the message accross to the media that presenting both sides of the argument sometimes isn't the good thing to do. The BBC and SKY news here still present the anti-MMR argument as valid vis the actual science that goes behind the development of vaccinations. They still call Wakefield 'Doctor' FFS. This is contradictory to the reality of the situation, and allows the cynics and morons to latch onto some sort of pseudo-legitimacy.

Even today, the BBC ran a piece on their breakfast show discussing the current Measles outbreak in Wales (nearly 1000 cases, and now spreading to other cities outside of Wales), and still they were questioning the safety of the vaccine. It's beyond a joke; it's outright dangerous, and producers on media shows need to remember that they're playing fast and loose with people's lives by saying things they don't understand.

2. Get the science out to people in an easily understandable form that allows everyone to understand the pros and cons of the vaccine and why it is needed. Not everyone has access to the Lancet, the BMJ, nature or science, so naturally when people start saying "But Wakefield was dismissed by the 2001 article prublished by Cambrdige..." those who are skeptical can't grasp the perspective. There needs to be a determined campaign to promote the message that vaccination not only protects you and your children, but other children too, and those who are at serious risk of complications should they contract a disease (such as Ben).

3. Debunk the woo woo pushers and murderers that propagate their non-scientific views on vaccinations. And I mean a sustained, prolonged attack using easy to understand science that everyone can grasp. People will find it difficult to digest immunology jargon and discourse, which is why folk like Wakefield used the media to push a simple message that every idiot and ignorant person can realte to; "The vaccination causes x! Don't use it!"

This needs to be countered immediately and consistently, showing why it is bogus and actually what could happen should people not take up the vaccine (eg; serious illness, and in some unfortunate cases, death).

There will always be people who seek to take up the message that vaccinations are evil for some reason, but the key is to drown them out and highlight how dangerous they and their views are.

IT would seem that the current outbreak here has led to a lot of parents admitting their hypocrisy and getting their children (and sometimes themselves) vaccinated, which can only be a good thing. I just hope it's not too little too late for the large number of people (estimted potentially at 250,000) that are currently open to contracting the disease and spreading it on.