For example, you could say “I know that there’s a lot of conflicting information, including some really scary stuff. That can make it hard to know what’s real, and how to keep yourself and your children safe. "
If they do want to learn, help them find reliable sources, such as peer-reviewed journals. Give them time to read and reflect. If they do read peer-reviewed research, they might like to talk about it with you. Some anti-vaxxers are less open-minded than others. If they shut down when told anything that contradicts what they already believe, assume that constructive conversation is impossible.
Purity: Discuss how vaccines harness the natural immune system (making vaccines sound more “pure”). Show how disgusting and awful vaccine-preventable diseases can be. Vaccines help people naturally avoid this fate, whatever their age. Freedom: Talk about how vaccines can help people be free to live their lives, without fear of deadly disease or limitations (like lockdowns, being unable to travel, or children needing to be homeschooled) imposed by lack of vaccination. Vaccinated children are able to explore the world around them and experience childhood without lack of vaccination holding them back.
If vaccines cause autism, and most people in the Western world are vaccinated, then why are about 98% of people non-autistic? Also, why do unvaccinated autistic people exist?[5] X Research source If all vaccines are bad, then why do millions of people get yearly flu vaccines without problems? If vaccines are unsafe, then why are they recommended for vulnerable groups such as babies, the elderly and the immunocompromised?
The most common side effects are swelling and a low-grade fever as the body learns to fight off the disease. Doctors are usually prepared for the more serious side effects. There are very few people who have severe side effects. On average, only one patient out of millions who receive a vaccine will have a severe reaction. [6] X Trustworthy Source World Health Organization Health information and news provided by the World Health Organization Go to source [7] X Trustworthy Source Immunization Action Coalition Nonprofit organization focused on promoting the use of vaccines by distributing information about vaccines and the diseases they prevent. Go to source
Point out that when vaccines are first being introduced, they do undergo randomized clinical trials if an alternative doesn’t already exist. This can be seen with both older vaccines, like polio, and newer vaccines, like the HPV vaccine. Explain that if a vaccine already exists, it’s unethical to deny it to people by replacing it with a placebo. [12] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source [13] X Trustworthy Source World Health Organization Health information and news provided by the World Health Organization. Go to source Vaccines have been in regular use for over 50 years, and no long-term risk factors have been identified. [14] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source COVID-19 vaccines, including Pfizer and Moderna, underwent rigorous testing before they were made available to the wider public under emergency use authorizations.
Andrew Wakefield’s study was debunked. In addition to the tiny sample size, it was found that he was faking his data, and hiding the fact that he was receiving large payments to say that vaccines caused autism. [16] X Research source He also wanted to patent his own MMR vaccine, and thus benefited from smearing the existing one. Current evidence suggests that autism is inborn and genetic, with researchers now identifying signs as early as the 2nd trimester. [17] X Research source Increasing rates of autism diagnoses are caused by better and broader diagnosis, while the prevalence of autism itself is actually very stable. [18] X Research source [19] X Research source [20] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source [21] X Research source Parents can’t control whether their child is autistic. Unvaccinated children can still be autistic. [22] X Research source [23] X Research source Even if there was a correlation between vaccines and autism, it’s better to have an autistic child than it is to watch your child slowly die from whooping cough. [24] X Research source [25] X Research source [26] X Research source [27] X Research source Correlation does not imply causation.
Common causes of cancer include smoking, tobacco, alcohol abuse, heavy sun exposure without sunscreen, infections, and genetic risk factors. [30] X Research source Long-term exposure to formaldehyde (usually inhaled) can increase cancer risk. [31] X Research source But that doesn’t mean that a tiny amount of formaldehyde in a vaccine will kill you. Vaccines only carry a tiny amount, far less than is naturally present in the body. [32] X Research source
Unfortunately, doctors aren’t quite sure what causes SIDS, which is why it’s an easy argument for anti-vaxxers to make.
Large amounts of any substance, even water, are bad for you. Vaccines are designed to contain safe amounts of everything. Lots of sinister-sounding substances aren’t as scary as they seem. For example, vaccines contain formaldehyde, which can be used to preserve dead tissue. . . but is also naturally produced by the body. [34] X Research source Vaccine formulas can be redeveloped to accommodate health concerns. For instance, thimerosal is no longer added to most vaccines, and the ones that do contain thimerosal have only about 25 micrograms of it (which is equal or less than the amount of mercury in canned tuna). [35] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source [36] X Trustworthy Source US Food and Drug Administration U. S. government agency responsible for promoting public health Go to source Some anti-vaxxers argue that injecting bypasses the way most substances enter the body, and are concerned that once it is injected, there is no way to turn off a potential extreme inflammatory response. However, these reactions are extremely rare, and even if they did happen, a doctor would be able to find the cause and treat it. Products that are found to be safe by the FDA can cause poisoning if misused. If you see someone suffering from overdose or symptoms of poisoning, call poison control.
Ask what motive the government could have for making people sick or disabled. Why would they do that? Break down the argument of “sick people make them money” by pointing out that while non-disabling illness does require people to pay money, it also costs the government money to support sick or disabled people (e. g. long-term disability payments). If a sizable portion of the population dies or is permanently disabled from vaccine-preventable diseases, that leaves fewer people who can make money, help maintain the country, or take over someone else’s governmental role should they die or retire.
Ask why doctors would be allowed to break the Hippocratic Oath in this case, when they are strictly held to it otherwise. What makes vaccines special? Doctors don’t usually make profits on vaccines, and may even lose money. But anti-vaccination advocates can make big profits on “miracle cures,” “health supplements,” and books. [37] X Research source The FDA strictly regulates products for safety and efficacy. If you notice an advertised product that has not been tested for safety or approved for treatment being marketed as such, then you should submit a complaint to the FDA and/or FTC. False advertising can result in defamation lawsuits as well as civil penalties like fines and court fees.
If their child hasn’t gotten sick yet, that child is lucky. There are cases of unvaccinated children who face serious complications, or even die. Just because things are fine so far doesn’t mean that a child is safe. It wouldn’t be logical to say “my child doesn’t wear seat belts and hasn’t died in a car accident yet, so it’s good to not use seat belts,” in the same way it isn’t logical to say “my unvaccinated child hasn’t died of polio yet, so not vaccinating is safe. " The parents are also endangering vulnerable people, such as infants, people with allergies to vaccines, and immunocompromised people (such as cancer patients) who aren’t able to get vaccines. Those people could get very sick or die if they come into contact with someone who has a vaccine-preventable disease.
If someone who is vaccinated catches the disease anyway, they usually get a milder version that they can fight off faster, with a much lower risk of long-term complications. [41] X Research source Some vaccines, like the measles vaccine, are effective on almost 100% of the recipients. [42] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source
The only vaccines that can “shed” are rotavirus (which is transmitted through feces and can be prevented with good hygiene), varicella or zoster (which is only transmittable if the vaccinated person develops “breakthrough” chickenpox), yellow fever (which is transmitted via breastfeeding and blood transfusions), and the oral polio vaccine (which is not used in many countries, in favor of the injection). [44] X Trustworthy Source Immunization Action Coalition Nonprofit organization focused on promoting the use of vaccines by distributing information about vaccines and the diseases they prevent. Go to source [45] X Research source [46] X Trustworthy Source American Academy of Family Physicians Organization devoted to improving the health of patients, families, and communities Go to source MMR can be transmitted, but cannot be contracted. [47] X Research source Medical professionals recommend that those who live with an immunocompromised person get vaccinated to reduce the risk of the person contracting the disease. [48] X Research source
VAERS has been useful to determine potential reactions to a vaccine, and vaccines with multiple similar reactions can trigger a re-review of the vaccine. However, VAERS will accept any report, even if it seems outlandish (like claiming a vaccine caused a suicide). One person reported to VAERS that receiving a vaccination had turned him into the Hulk. [53] X Research source [54] X Research source Many severe reactions or deaths reported on the VAERS website have been linked to other, non-vaccine causes. [55] X Research source Correlation is not causation. Medical professionals are urged to file any notable health issues to VAERS if the issue occurred post-vaccination, even if there’s little or no evidence linking the reaction to the vaccine. [56] X Research source To file a petition with VICP, the person who received the vaccine must have either experienced severe side effects for over six months, have been hospitalized or required surgical intervention, or have died as a result of the vaccine (all of which are extremely rare). [57] X Research source If the vaccine has no record of causing the adverse effect that the recipient experienced, there must be medical evidence that the vaccine caused the reaction, and it wasn’t coincidence. [58] X Research source Whether or not the petitioner receives compensation is determined in court. [59] X Research source Between 1988 and January 2020, out of the billions of vaccines given, only over 21,000 petitions were submitted. Only about 7,000 (38%) of people who have filed a claim with VICP have won compensation, and 80% of those were compensated by a settlement rather than a court decision. The other 14,000 cases have been dismissed. [60] X Research source People cannot sue the creators or manufacturers of vaccines because repeated or multiple lawsuits against these manufacturers can cause shortages of vaccines, which puts other people at risk. [61] X Research source
If good hygiene and healthy habits were enough to protect against vaccine-preventable disease, the disease rates would have declined decades prior. However, disease has only sharply declined after the introduction of vaccines. When countries have relaxed their vaccination requirements without the disease in question being eradicated, the disease almost immediately comes back. [63] X Trustworthy Source World Health Organization Health information and news provided by the World Health Organization Go to source Point out that the immune system reacts much faster to a disease when it’s already been exposed to even a tiny bit of it. With a vaccine, the immune system recognizes the disease and can attack it quickly; without it, the immune system doesn’t respond as quickly, which can result in the disease causing serious harm before it’s fought off. [64] X Research source Explain that vaccination is like wearing seat belts in a car. You don’t get into a car expecting to get into a crash, but if you do get into one, the seat belt protects you from much more injury than if you hadn’t been wearing it. The same applies to vaccines. [65] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source [66] X Research source
Ignoring or steamrolling someone’s feelings will not make those feelings go away. But making space for genuine discussion can help. To put things in perspective, there are about two injury claims per million doses. [69] X Research source That’s 0. 0002%. It’s akin to saying “I won’t go outside this year because I don’t want to risk being struck by lightning. " The risk is about the same. [70] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source
Say “This is what can happen to your child if they don’t get vaccinated. I want your child to be safe, and that’s why I’m showing you this. It’s not too late to get them immunized, to help protect them. " Understand that some anti-vaxxers know someone who has suffered severe side effects of vaccines that are just as bad as the effects you are describing. You might ask whether that is the case before proceeding.
Scarred lungs Scarred skin Bad teeth Partial or complete deafness Blindness Brain damage Paralysis Infertility
Pregnant people, if exposed to rubella, may suffer a miscarriage, or have their babies born with severe health problems. [75] X Research source Diseases do spread. There have been cases of unvaccinated babies needing to be quarantined and schools needing to be temporarily closed due to life-threatening outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. [76] X Research source
Ask “How do you think an autistic person would feel if they heard that? What might it be like, to know that people would risk their children’s lives rather than possibly having their child turn out like you?” If they say that autistic people can’t hear them, ask “How do you know?” Autism is lifelong, and not always obvious to others. (For all they know, you could be autistic. ) Autistic people do hear the things other people say about them. [79] X Research source There are also parents of autistic children who wish that people would stop speaking so negatively about their children, because it is hurtful and untrue. [80] X Research source [81] X Research source
Lack of vaccinations can limit your child’s future ability to travel abroad, attend the schools they want to attend, attend day cares and play groups, and enjoy other opportunities. [83] X Research source Disease outbreaks can have a serious impact on unvaccinated kids. Experts recommend that unvaccinated children should be kept home for days or weeks during an outbreak, even if it means missing school. [84] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source If a child catches a vaccine-preventable disease, they may need to be quarantined away from everyone else, which can be frightening (especially to young children).
If the person has a tendency to lie, you can ask for proof of immunization. It can be hard to not let grandparents, aunts or uncles, cousins, et cetera to not meet their new baby relative. But it can also be hard to watch your child suffer from a vaccine-preventable, life-threatening disease like whooping cough. Experts recommend keeping infants out of contact with unvaccinated relatives, until the infant has gotten all their shots.
“Yes, okay. Anyway, can you believe how much it’s raining?” “I don’t want to talk about this. " “I’m not interested in arguing about this with you. " “If you keep bothering me about my decisions, I am going to leave. "
