I wanted to publish this exchange because it’s a good example of why I dislike anti-vaxxers. They have beliefs based on out-of-context data and a lack of scientific and factual testing. Their “opinions” don’t merely endanger them, their family and friends, but everyone who comes near them.

Vaccination at Dartmouth High School – but that was before, when there were vaccines

It’s one thing to distrust big pharma for over-pricing necessary medication or horticulturists who create super fast-growing seeds that make food less tasty and wipes out smaller farms that produced better food in smaller crops. To distrust vaccinations which have saved entire generations from the horrors of smallpox and polio — among other things — is not an alternative view. It’s fear and rumor-mongering. It isn’t based on science or research. It’s fear reaching out.

Yes, you can have a reaction to the shots. Garry is having one today. He isn’t lethally sick, but he doesn’t feel well. We’ve had other friends who have had a reaction, but the reactions are short-lived and beat out an avoidable death or serious illness.  By the way, just so you know, I have this same raging dislike of people who are both anti-abortion AND anti-contraception.

ANTI-VAXXER (Almost) by Anonymous

It isn’t really a hot topic so much as a persistent annoyance that is pounded into our heads by media, seems to make people believe they are the “lucky ones” because they got a vaccination for the virus. I worry about my friends and family that already got the shot, mostly nurses, we shall see what the end results of this will be. Hopefully all good outcomes.

Polio in those golden olden days

I will wait and watch to see what the end result of this will be. I am wary, and waiting. I wish the best to everyone who had gotten it, especially my family and friends. They are mostly nurses and vaccination was pretty much strongly encouraged although they were hesitant to jump in, they ultimately had the 2 shots, with some side effects, some worse than others. Many people are hesitant and fearful, that doesn’t make them democrat, or republican, it just makes them people who are cautious and weighing pros and cons of medication, you know, BIG PHARMA.

FDR in his lifetime battle to help cure polio victims — before vaccination

Many people didn’t trust before this vaccine came along. I read the vaccine alters your genes for example, I read and watched some prominent people in health care field discuss vaccine and those videos were removed from media, as well as my sharing them with others. I worry because, why the cover-up or taking down of alternative views from knowledgeable people?

Original (Salk) Polio vaccine

Some have lost their jobs and licenses due to their views and expressing it publicly. I compare this big push to get us all vaccinated to brain-washing and lining us up then marching us to the unknown. Perhaps I will be banned from saying this. I am concerned and have many questions, we need to hear all views, and clarify the negative as well. I am not saying never, just not right now.

RESPONSE (Me):

An alternative view is supposed to be a view based on something other than fear, worry, rumor, and out-of-context snippets and well as distorted extractions from larger discussions. A view based on your fear is not an alternative to anything. It’s just fear.

Of course vaccines alter your genes. That’s one of the ways they work. That’s what smallpox, flu, polio, whooping cough, measles and all vaccinations do. I understand that people distrust science because science has been misused commercially, especially agriculturally. However, if it weren’t for medical research, antibiotics, and vaccines, a lot of us would not have reached adulthood.

Pfizer vaccine (used to work at Pfizer — one of my last professional gigs)

I remember as a child, the oncoming of the “polio season” — late spring into summer — and the terror mothers had as it invaded everywhere. Then, one day, there was the Salk vaccine. We all lined up in school to get vaccinated (it was 1952 and I was 5) AND POLIO WENT AWAY. I also remember the arrival of easily available antibiotics and what a difference that made in our lives! It took a while for them to sort out what they were good for and where they didn’t work as well or at all, but regardless, it was a massive improvement for everyone everywhere.

Removing false information is not a coverup. The memes and stuff you were distributing are NOT TRUE.

It has no scientific basis. It is nonsense. I have issues with GMU crops, not because it’s going to turn us into zombies, but because the food doesn’t taste good and rots quickly. It may be making more crops grow faster, but it isn’t making BETTER food. I don’t distrust “big pharma” because they fail to improve our lives. I reject their greed and a price structure that makes essential medication unaffordable for those who need it. I also think they should spend less on researching male erections and more on other stuff, but meds for keeping penises hard makes big money. I hate the greed, not the science.

Moderna vaccine – Photo: Christopher Dolan/The Times-Tribune via AP, File

Vaccines are medical science. Those who reject it based on out-of-context, untested, non-factual and irrational fears are doing themselves and the rest of us a serious disservice. I’m  glad I was able to raise my son and not worry about him getting smallpox, polio, diphtheria, whooping cough, measles, mumps or for that matter, typhoid. He had enough other issues without my worrying that he was going to die of an ancient plague.

This isn’t brainwashing. It’s medicine.

It can keep you from dying of something stupid that you could have otherwise prevent. Anti-vaxxers are what they are. Everyone has a right to doubt, but we also have the intelligence to do enough research to discover what vaccines are supposed to do — as well as why and how they work.

Vaccinations have made modern life healthier for everyone. We have many, many people living longer, healthier lives than they lived “before.” It’s not like a few hundred years ago people lived long, healthy lives. They lives were much shorter and many died before reaching adulthood. A 50-year-old man was considered really old. Living to 60 was amazing. Yes, a few people lived longer, but most people didn’t.

My biggest resentment about people who distrust vaccines and keep trying to spread “their word” is not that they are endangering themselves, children, and friends, but that they are endangering my family, children, and friends. You have the right to object. I have the right to not want you anywhere near me or mine.

You can’t have it both ways.

Categories: #American-history, #Health, #Photography, Coronavirus - Covid 19, Epidemic - Pandemic - Plague, old photograph, Vaccination, vaccine

Tags: anti-vaxxers, Coronavirus - Covid 19, Marilyn Armstrong, Moderna, Pfizer, polio, vaccine