Anti-Vaxxers Don’t Science

​By Vic Romano

Recently I came accross a Facebook post that I really enjoyed and thought hit on some important points regarding the mind of the anti-vaxxer. The author was a friend of mine named Vic Romano. He gave me permission to post it here on the site. Here is his post. I hope you also enjoy it!
​  "Antivaxxers like to say that doctors and scientist are often wrong. As proof, they will tell you doctors and scientists used to promote health benefits of smoking. And this is a fair example. Doctors and scientists did recommend smoking, or at least didn’t recognize all the health hazards.

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 But doctors and scientists are always questioning their preconceptions. That’s how science and medicine work. Over time it became clear that cigarettes were a health hazard. And it was doctors and scientists who figured that out, not bloggers or “health gurus.” Scientists.
​  Now compare that to antivaxxers. When Wakefield published his paper claiming that MMR caused autism, they latched onto that with religious fervor. They even assumed, without any evidence, that it applied to all vaccines. They blame mercury (not even present in MMR), formaldehyde (produced in far greater amounts by your own body) and aluminum (third most abundant element on the planet), without a single critical thought.
And what has happened since? 
Study after study disproves Wakefield’s claims.
He admitted to BMJ that he fabricated most of his data.
His paper was retracted and he lost his medical license.
And you can explain about the lack of mercury (or Thimerosal), about formaldehyde and about aluminum until you are blue in the face.
But you will never penetrate their religious zealotry. You will never penetrate their dogma. They are incapable of accepting that their “theories” are wrong.
So yeah, scientists are often wrong. But they know that, can admit it, and work to correct it.
Antivaxxers not so much.”

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