What's Behind Latest Phobia Towards Vaccines?

Posted: November 4, 2009

For example, the vaccine for H1N1 flu is now being distributed nationwide. But among pregnant women, who can go to the front of that line, three-fourths aren’t getting vaccinated, even though H1N1 is particularly lethal for them and — as if that weren’t enough — it poses risks to theirs fetuses. Facts are scary things.

Health-care workers, another bunch who should know better, also don’t necessarily get vaccinated. Jackson was shocked to find flu vaccination rates of only 50 percent among hospital workers she studied.

So despite vaccines’ overwhelming safety profile when compared to the risks run by exposure to the diseases they prevent, and despite the exhortations of the CDC and World Health Organization, some people just gravitate toward other sources of information they deem more reliable.

"There’s a post-modernist notion that all levels of belief are acceptable,” Offit says.

The vaccine disconnect brings to mind a bumper sticker seen a few years ago, when some school boards and even the state of Kansas were openly advocating the teaching of an alternative explanation to counter Darwin’s theory of evolution.

The bumper sticker read: “What’s next — gravity?”

Fear of Truth and Spin

People in the United States are subject to more "Marketing" then anywhere else on Earth or time in history. We have built up a necessary and inherent distrust and aversion to slick marketing messages. The public health sector has fallen into the marketing trap with the statements from Dr. Offit demonstrate. What we observe is not a fallacious mistrust of vaccines, but a well-earned and rational distrust of the public officials promoting them.

A phrase used repeatedly in this article is "safety profile when compared to the risks run by exposure" Our well-trained skeptical evaluation of this is that the vaccine is only safe when put in relation to the flu. To me this look a lot like a box of junk food with a big label "0g Transfat!" Far to many people then make the decision that they see the parallel to just avoiding junk food and do not get vaccinated.

There is also the though in the back of too many minds that health authorities would willingly lie to people "For the greater good." As a hypothetical only, consider a prophylactic treatment that did indeed cause long term disability in some very small percentage of those to whom it was administered but still met the criteria of a better "safety profile when compared to the risks run by exposure." Health officials and government officials, along with Big Pharma have built a reputation that makes it far to easy to believe they would do everything in their power to obscure and minimize that risk.

What we need in order to reverse the trend in avoiding treatment is a long term commitment the full and spin-free truth from the public health sector. Instead of attempting to obscure or minimize known risk factors and uncertainties with the marketing ploy known as "public health education," the government need to prove its self, as a matter of unbending policy, to be the most honest, complete and reliable source of information even when that information might be seen discourage use.

Bottom line its not the vaccine that is distrusted, but the information marketed by people like Dr. Offit who we would not trust to inform us even if he knew there was a risk.

John F. Miller of CA @ Nov 11, 2009 13:32:19 PM

Distrust in Vaccinations

The best tools we have against disease are vaccinations. Why is there so much distrust? First, there are more vaccinations, some of which are mandated. This are viewed as inherently coercive and has lead to distrust. Secondly, the internet provides a resource sharing of information and misinformation regarding vaccinations. These rumors and falsified articles greatly outweigh the scientific literature and can be spread globally in minutes. Lastly, bad news gets more attention than good news. Even if there is more positive messages out there, people will focus on the negative (even if unscientifically proven).

No vaccine has zero risk. However, the risk of having complications with obtaining the virus overwhelmingly outweighs the risk of vaccination complications.

The worst part about the distrust in the vaccinations is keeping pregnant women (who are 4 times more likely to be hospitalized than the general population) from getting the vaccination (The Lancet, 2009). Bill Maher is one of the many that spread rumors about the vaccinations. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/13/bill-maher-vs-the-flu-vaccine/?apage=34

Please look at the current scientifically proven research before you spread unproven 'facts'.

Jennifer Smock of IN @ Nov 11, 2009 10:40:48 AM

Jerry B. of KS

I highly recommend the author go take a look at the H1N1 vaccine inserts instead of taking Dr. Profit's word for it.

On the insert, it will say, "live attenuated virus," "Thimerisol, a mercury preservative," "not for pregnant women," "not for children 2 and under."

Yeah, paranoia? No, it's called knowledge. It might not cause autism, but I'll take a few days in bed over Guillane B. Syndrome anytime.

Jerry of KS @ Nov 06, 2009 02:40:58 AM

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