What Is The Anti-vaccine Movement Really About?

The anti-vaccine movement is nothing new – it has been around since the first vaccines arrived. The movement is very dangerous because it exposes the health of the public and the individual to great danger.

In addition, there is no scientific evidence to support vaccines. Children and individuals with weakened immune systems are the ones in the population who are most exposed to danger.

How did the anti-vaccine movement come about?

The anti-vaccine movement can be defined as a collection of people who are against vaccinations. They believe that the health risks associated with vaccines or vaccination measures outweigh the benefits. The reasons for their distrust of vaccines can be religious, political, philosophical or sanitary.

The origin of the first vaccine dates back to 1796. That year, Edward Jenner, an English rural doctor, described the possibility of preventing the spread of smallpox. How? By putting healthy individuals in contact with the goods from the wounds of an individual who was ill with smallpox.

At the same moment, the first vaccine skeptics were born, even within the medical community. From that moment until today, many countries have been affected by outbreaks of preventable diseases as a result of the effects of anti-vaccination viruses.

The most famous articles to which the anti-vaccine movements refer were published in 1998 in The Lancet . The scientific journal article showed a link between the triple vaccine against measles, rubella and mumps and autism as well as some other intestinal diseases.

Six years later, it was revealed that the author of the article, Andrew Wakefield, had financial conflicts of interest. These led him to change the results of the study to his own advantage.

Several co-authors of the same article went out and recalled the conclusions that were probably obtained through the study. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done – and it continues to circulate and spread ignorance even today. The fraudulent article caused panic and led to fewer people getting vaccinated. In turn, these missed vaccinations have led to more diseases breaking out.

What is the basis of the anti-vaccine movement?

Various studies have analyzed the content of anti-vaccination information on various websites. Some of the arguments that these groups make can be divided into different categories.

As we wrote earlier, there are different reasons why different groups argue against vaccinations. The arguments they address can be divided into the following categories:

• Religious beliefs. According to some religions, vaccinations are an external and unnecessary intervention on the human body.

• Philosophical reasons. These groups believe that the mandatory nature of immunizations (found in some countries) is a violation of a person’s individual rights.
• Lack of efficiency. Some believe that the reduction of diseases that can be prevented with vaccines is not a result of the vaccinations themselves. Rather, they argue that the reduction is a product of socio-economic improvements.
• Risks and consequences in connection with vaccinations. These arguments focus on the possible side effects of vaccinations and immunizations. They draw correlations between vaccinations and certain diseases, especially idiopathic (unexplained) conditions and those that alter a person’s immunity.
• Economic gain. Here, the arguments focus on the financial benefits that pharmaceutical companies, health companies and laboratories have received from vaccination programs. Furthermore, they point to the lack of transparency among the parties participating in the vaccination chain.

• Other arguments. Some may also refer to the pain injections give rise to, possible consequences of poor technique in the application of vaccinations, etc.

What are the benefits of vaccinations?

Vaccinations are one of the greatest advances in the entire history of medicine. Science has shown that they prevent millions of deaths each year.

Despite this, millions of people around the world are still dying every day as a result of preventable diseases through vaccinations. This may be due to a lack of access to vaccines or as a direct result of the anti-vaccination movement.

Here are some of the major benefits of vaccines:

• Vaccines are safe. They are one of the safest medical products available. Vaccines must undergo many security checks.
• They do not cause the disease they are vaccinating against.

• Vaccines do not cause autism. (In addition, the diseases they prevent are much more serious and life-threatening than autism itself.)
• The possibility of side effects is always there. However, the benefits of vaccines always outweigh the risks of potential risks.
  
  
• Vaccines are very effective.
• Their protection is long-lasting, although some vaccines require additional doses.
• Vaccines are necessary to protect individuals and the population from disease.
• The protection of children’s health is an ethical issue with unequivocal moral value.
• Independent scientific evidence supports the use of vaccines.

Other benefits of vaccines

At present, there are no alternative treatments to vaccines that have been shown to be better than (or even close to) the vaccines themselves. In every state in the United States, children must get their immunizations to go to school. But it is said that 47 states allow exemptions because of religious or philosophical beliefs.

In the same way, parents have a civic and moral obligation to protect their children. Doing so enables us to build a better society where we protect ourselves and especially those who do not have the opportunity to be vaccinated.

Today we are generally unaware of how serious many childhood diseases are because we ourselves have not witnessed their progress. Improvements in hygiene and sanitation have contributed to the reduction in their incidence, but the role of vaccines in the eradication of these plagues cannot be denied.

Unfortunately, the anti-vaccine movement now exposes young children and other vulnerable individuals to life-threatening risks by coming into contact with deadly and serious diseases that can be easily prevented by vaccinations.