Will anti-vaxxers change their minds?

[CuriousKangaroo]

I just read that a second child has died from measles in Texas recently. Both were unvaccinated. In a neighbouring State, an adult who had never been vaccinated has also died recently. What a tragic situation.

Measles cases are on the rise everywhere now, with rates appearing to rise in correlation in both time and geography from when and where parents have refused to vaccinate their children. It’s seems like clear proof that vaccines work and that non vaccination is putting children at risk of not just death but the potentially significant long term health consequences that can arise from having measles in childhood.

Genuinely interested whether anti-vaxxers will start vaccinating their kids. I always wondered whether anti-vaxxers were willing to risk non vaccination in part because they had never seen such diseases (ironically because of vaccination) and so didn’t realise how bad it could be. If you haven’t vaccinated your children, are you re-thinking? Does anyone know anyone who has change their minds?

I’m not sure it would, though sadly in Texas there have been children poisoned because of vitamin an overdoses. It was suggested that vitamin a would counter measles.

if only there was another way……

Doubt it

https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/20/texas-measles-family-gaines-county-death/

Apparently it was her time so the vaccine wouldn’t have helped.

A friend of mine did a complete 180 when her unvaccinated toddler got whooping cough, and was very, very poorly. She said it was terrifying. Credit to her, I saw her then trying to convince her anti-vax friends to change their minds too. She got a lot of grief from them for that.

I read lots of people are now rushing to get vaccinated so yes some people will change their minds. Not all though.

The mother of the girl who died still saying it was right not to vaccinate -- I guess that's some kind of self protection, so she doesn't have to face the fact she is culpable in her own child's death.

Some will but most of them are utter morons so won’t. Unbelievably cruel to let your child die of a preventable disease.

A lot of West Texas where this outbreak started is deeply religious - there’s huge Mennonite communities there. It’s less the “tin foil hat” brand of anti-vaxxers and more the “we can pray away illness” brand 🫣
The parents of the first child who died have been on the news and when asked if they would now urge their friends/family to get their children vaccinated they said that they still wouldn’t 😳😳😳
I think it’s harder to convince the religious anti-vaxxers with scientific fact than it is the people who get their medical advice from Instagram.

Should be prosecuted with involuntary manslaughter. Anti vaxxers have caused the death of their child through their actions.

Yes, credit to her. I think most people find it hard to accept when they have been wrong. I wonder if there is also a level of shame attached to having been taken in by the false claims of the anti-vaxx movement? That would make it even harder to admit so well done to her.

Yes, I think it’s always going to be harder for those who don’t vaccinate for religious reasons. I cannot see any of them changing their views if they believe that God wants them not to vaccinate.

But I am more curious about the conspiracy theory anti-vaxxers and if any of them will now realise they have been duped and will change their minds.

I think the problem is that 'anti vaxers' aren't a single homogenous group. The reasons behind not vaccinating are vast and varied so it's not as black and white as 'vaxers' insinuate. I say this as someone who has vaccinated my own children with everything offered except the MMR. The reason for that are personal but fundamentally, my family history has a lot of parents regretting giving it (and that's across a variety of ages, the eldest concerns raised before the dodgy Wakefield 'research'). I don't think for a second that the MMR 'causes' autism for example and I don't think the vaccine is, in itself unsafe. However due to my family history I undertook genetic counselling prior to conceiving I asked about the influence of the MMR and listened carefully to what they said. I then posed the question 'is it possible that it's not the vaccine as such,but something in my family genetics which reacts badly to that particular vaccine, similar to an allergy for example'. The doctor thought about for a moment and then said 'well,I cannot guarantee that isn't the case as there is still so much we don't know or understand in genetics but it is more likely that the disability runs in the family but is only identifiable around the time the MMR is given'. I am thankful for his honesty but it didn't make getting the injections any easier. I am open to potentially giving the MMR later when that window for identifying the disability that plagues my family has passed but not having given it is something I worry about daily. A handful of children dying won't change my mind, but does add to my anxiety around it.

I would 100% have paid to have given them separately but that is no longer an option which seems shortsighted given the rise in measles (MMR cases in general) happening globally.

But you aren’t anti vaccination. You have a specific concern regarding the MMR arising from your own family history, and have taken medical advice. I would never class you as an anti-vaxxer and I’m pretty sure no one would.

No, there are some people who won't change their misguided minds about anything, and nothing anyone says will make any difference. Because, as we all know, you can't argue with stupid.