The anti-vaccination movement has a long history, beginning in France in 1763 and continuing through to today. Nowadays, anti-vaccination online hubs are leaping on to COVID-19 and the COVID-19 infodemic is feeding the trolls. As with all hot-button issues, it’s important to have accurate information and listen to both sides of the story.
Anti-vaccination Movements: History of the Vaccine Debate
In the below infographic, developed by Mark Kirkpatrick, a freelance health journalist and dietitian, we discuss the reasoning and history behind the anti-vaccination movement. In the early days of immunization, distrust in vaccines was well-warranted. There was no official quarantine procedure for those who’d already been inoculated and 18th Century doctors didn’t have quite the same standards as us when it came to sanitation and disease prevention. But as you can see, medical knowledge and standards have progressed greatly since those times and today’s vaccinations are a safe and effective tool in battling global health issuesOne of the biggest myths being propagated in the compliant mainstream media today is that doctors are either pro-vaccine or anti-vaccine, and that the anti-vaccine doctors are all “quacks.” However, any journalist or investigative reporter covering this issue with any integrity at all will quickly discover that this is very far from the truth. such as measles and rubella.
More than just a timeline of anti-vaccination movements, this infographic also includes useful information about vaccination itself, some of which might very well surprise you. For example: did you know that the first immunizations were administered in China in the 10th Century BCE? Or that the famed French philosopher Voltaire argued strongly for immunizations?
The Real Issue with Vaccines: Why I’m Neither Pro-vaccine or Anti-vaccine?
One of the biggest myths being propagated in the compliant mainstream media today is that doctors are either pro-vaccine or anti-vaccine, and that the anti-vaccine doctors are all “quacks.” However, any journalist or investigative reporter covering this issue with any integrity at all will quickly discover that this is very far from the truth.
References:
- Wadman, M. & You, J. The vaccine wars. Science 356, 364–365 (2017).
- W. Cornwall, Just 50% of Americans plan to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Science (2020), doi:10.1126/science.abd6018.
- P. Ball, A. Maxmen, The epic battle against coronavirus misinformation and conspiracy theories. Nature 581, 371–374 (2020).
- Larson, H. J. A call to arms: helping family, friends and communities navigate the COVID-19 infodemic. Nat. Rev. Immunol. 20, 449–450 (2020).
- Why vaccinate: the reasons are in the vaccination research. http://www.vaccinews.net/2011/12/why-vaccinate-the-reasons-are-in-the-vaccination-research/
- The anti-vaccination movement. https://measlesrubellainitiative.org/anti-vaccination-movement/
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