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CDC reports highest childhood vaccine exemption rate ever in the U.S.
(www.nbcnews.com)
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this post was submitted on 12 Nov 2023
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Not actually surprising given how many people distrust the health-care system in US. I wonder why that might be...
Vaccines are actually one of the parts of the US healthcare system which works well. There is no excuse for vaccine skepticism other than stupidity.
Vaccines work too well for their own good in some respects. They are so good that most people don't remember the bad old days when these diseases ran rampant. People think "measles" and say "so you get some sores for a few days and then fully recover, no biggie." They hear "whooping cough" and say "you just cough for a bit, so what?"
Too many people don't recall the horrors these diseases inflicted. I count myself among those who don't recall first hand, but I've read enough accounts to be thankful that I haven't had to experience this.
Also, the anti-vax movement started small. They stopped getting shots and the world didn't end. This was actually because everyone else was still supplying herd immunity, but they spun it as "see how you don't need vaccines?"
As more and more people joined, the herd immunity started to falter. Now, it's breaking down entirely and diseases once thought gone are making a comeback tour.
And all because these people would rather trust someone online with no medical experience, but who tells them what they want to hear rather than actual doctors.
When I was in highschool there was a girl in my class whose religion forbade basically all medicine and she had a really bad case of whooping cough.
It was awful, I remember feeling really terrible for her she sounded like she was in a lot of pain and discomfort every day. No kids should be forced to go through that
Right wing propaganda?
The opioid crisis? Opaque costs for anything?
When you ask the price of anything at a hospital or even a pharmacy, even simple things like how much a tetanus shot costs, you're usually met with a "the insurance usually covers it" in the US. Or "it depends". You'll only know how much it costs after everything is done.
This is like saying you don't trust your municipal tap water because of fracking in Kansas.
For those wondering genuine reasons to support this statement, remember the horrific things the US government did to black people and native Americans.
The CIA and such were having a field day doing whatever unethical shit they wanted.
Tuskagee experiment? (Giving black people syphilis) https://www.history.com/news/the-infamous-40-year-tuskegee-study
MK Ultra? (Drugging black people with cocaine and mishrooms) https://chacruna.net/cia_research_exploited_black_americans_mkultra/
Mass sterilization of Native American women: https://time.com/5737080/native-american-sterilization-history/
It goes on and on. Yeah, we have good reason to distrust the US Government. Unfortunately, we also have lots of reasons to trust them as well. This isn't a post "gubbmint bad". This is just "we can understand why some people think the way they do because of the actions of others".
Oh, but it IS.
What would 'trustworthy' look like? Kinda like now. What are you doing? Still distrusting. Why try to be trustworthy if it's a no-win equation?
Maybe creating a health care system that won't force you into bankruptcy if you break a leg?
This is a huge part of it. The money is so big it gives them a motive and a reason for people to be suspicious.
I mean I think they are wrong. But not everyone is going to agree and go along with rational thinking.
Too many people ignore the fact that the government isn't 1 entity, but several. Each division has its own goals, and some of those divisions care more about the people they're supposed to serve than others.
I think distrusting pharmaceutical companies and being skeptical of excessive tests is very different from distrusting medical science. I don't have to trust my health insurance company to know that vaccines are on solid evidence and safe to get.
If it's a new vaccine? I'll apply more skepticism, but that means looking into it. The explanation of the mRNA method for COVID was very transparent and supported by university academics. It was novel and quite impressive.
Plus, just in general, you need to be wary of side effects. I'm way more cautious about new medications after going through the gambit with psychological medications and their side effects. As I get older, more health procedures become elective vs necessary (e.g. hair regrowth products), and it's important to think critically about it.
I distrust the medical system too... But there is no alternative, so while I choose not to use it when I don't absolutely need it, my kids are vaccinated and I'm sick right now and I take the medicine my doctor gave me. If a legitimate alternative came, I would go for it, but it doesn't exist.
I trust it, but only as far as I trust anything else. I want evidence and reasoning. If I'm being recommended a procedure that seems fishy, I'm going to get a second or third opinion. I'm going to use reputable sources to research it.
The old company I worked for had a saying in the engineering department, "Trust but verify". I think it applies really well here.