The anti-vaccination movement is exactly what it sounds like: a movement that does not view vaccination as a resort for a patient’s health for a variety of reasons.
Jimmy Kimmel addressed the absurd fad that is anti-vaccination on a monologue and pre-recorded PSA on his show. He satirizes anti-vaxxers for taking advice that goes against medical professionals who probably know more about vaccines than anti-vaxxers know about fifth-grade math. The anti-vaccination supporters are mainly parents who worry about the health of their children, but are mocked for being “more scared of gluten than they are of smallpox”. Their point-of-view is understandable, since a combination of medical terminology and a lack of understanding of medicine can be very daunting; however, a lack of understanding of what can be bad about vaccines is comparable to a lack of understanding of what can be good about vaccines. Therefore, consultation about vaccines should be done with a medical professional who knows what he or she is doing.
The vaccination debate continues to have strong opinions on both sides.
Image Source: Moment/Karl Tapales
There is astounding evidence that vaccines are vital to the well-being of children. However, there is a small, but strong-willed group that is highly against vaccination. The origin of the anti-vaccination movement goes centuries back in history, but a paper published by Dr. AJ Wakefield in the Lancet journals drew a connection between the Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccines and autism. This paper published in 1998 was NOT a study, but the impact of the “results” gave momentum to an already existing anti-vaccination movement. Wakefield’s paper was retracted and his medical license was revoked after falsified data was discovered in his paper. Although the paper seems to be a factor that convinces parents to keep vaccines from their children, it does not seem likely that the Lancet “study” is a significant contribution to the anti-vaccination movement, especially since it has been retracted and debunked by countless more studies disproving the link between autism and the MMR vaccine. A question can be raised here asking where parents are getting their medical advice.
Common vaccine myths that worry parents include the following: vaccines can override and impair a child’s immune system, vaccination only affects the child vaccinated, and vaccines contain toxic chemicals. Not only are all of these false, but they are also very unsafe to follow since they contradict the opinion of practically every medical professional in the world. These people who go against a doctor’s advice perhaps do not deserve to receive the services of one. Jimmy Kimmel may have said it the best: “Why would you even want to go to a doctor who knows less than you do?” The money used to endorse a bad image for vaccines could be used to fund the distribution of basic immunizations for children in struggling developing countries. To know that some adults withhold vaccines from their children is appalling, and the trend needs to stop.
