Anti Vaxx threads shouldn't be allowed

[turnthebiglightoff]

AIBU to suggest that anti vaxxer threads should be reported and removed? This site is so important to many members, impressionable women will inevitably take someone's word as gospel if they already have concerns themselves. I suggest the deletion message signposts to speak to your local NHS teams / GP / visit the NHS website etc. I don't think MN allows MLM promotion; arguably this is of greater importance as it could affect so many (children's) health.

Does anyone disagree? I'd be really interested to hear why. *I really don't mean this as a TAAT as I believe this is a wider issue.

I think they should remain but have a MN message about current NHS and WHO guidelines and a link to those in the comment.

I agree with you Op. The misinformation is dangerous.

Sunshine is the best disinfectant.

(Although I appreciate the irony that this particular idiom has its own woo quality!)

Agree making it a pro vs ant vax is devisive and not necessarily true. I am not anti vax but I am courtious and weigh up proes and cons on each vaccine on it,s ow merit. My DD has had sezures after vaccines. 9When she was younger. I also think it is very good practice to question any medicine and not just follow the sheep.

I believe in freedom of speech

@goodytooshoes this is what I'm starting to believe would be the best approach. I've replied to several "vaccines cause autism" comments over the last few weeks and none of those comments were removed.

To another PP's point around my "impressionable women" comment, I hereby change it to "impressionable caregivers male, female or otherwise" to satisfy those who don't need pronouns.

I wouid never consider someone with medical reasons to avoid some or all immunisations as an anti-vaxxer.

I use that term to refer to those with no medical reason who are choosing to refuse, and I had thought that was the normal default usage on MN.

I always find this type of posts so divisive. Anyone who doesn't vaccinate is 'stupid'. All of the reasons are nonsense and they are compared with flat-earthers! Hardly encourages people unsure to ask questions! If you have a convincing argument use that rather than just mud slinging!

In the past I have tried to understand where antivaxxers are coming from just in case I am perhaps missing something, but I've never seen anything that makes me understand it.

My friend hasn't vaccinated her child because her brother was one of the unlucky ones who was injured as a result of vaccines. He was left with a lifelong seizure disorder and unable to live an independent life. Can you understand why she doesn't want to risk it? Not an "antivaxxer" myself btw, my child has received all her scheduled vaccines but I dont judge my friend for her choice.

The problem is there are legitimate reasons why a person might be an 'antivaxer' or indeed avoid a particular vaccine or particular type of vaccine, and the dangerous part isn't the individuals sharing these concerns but the general rhetoric around 'all anti vaxers are stupid' etc which just makes everyone more het up and determined to vax or not (whatever their persuasion rather than based on reasoned thought). The problem with the internet is that despite the wealth of information available online it can easily become an echo chamber so actually a space where these issues can be discussed in a tolerant way by people with different opinions, experiences and interpretations of guidance is extremely valuable.

As a side note, my child has had most but not all of their scheduled vaccines. There is no official tangible reason for this however, my brother, several cousins and a couple of my nieces/nephew have reacted and developed a condition within a few days of this particular jab being given. Having spoken to many many high profile doctors who cannot give a definite answer if the jab caused their condition or not, a geneticist told me that there is a great deal still not understood about genetics and it is 'perfectly possible' that something in my families genetics somewhere reacts in this way to that jab. I should say at this point that my cousins and sisters children who didnt vaccinate with this jab dont have the condition (which could be coincidental). Dont we all do what we believe is best and safest for our own child, even when objectively it might not be the best 'in the big picture'

Policing conversation is not going to help, it will fuel conspiracy theorists argument ... “ oh the secrets nobody wants you to know” type crap.
Let them make fools of themselves. Those convinced were already convinced.

YABU... What next should we ban as a topic for discussion? Where do we draw the line at policing topics?

I don't agree that 3,4 or more vaccine shots are done at one time to a baby.

This is far too much to bear for a little body.

I don't agree that 3,4 or more vaccine shots are done at one time to a baby. This is far too much to bear for a little body

The most they have at any one appointment in the first year is two injected vaccines and one oral vaccine, they don't have four injections until they're a year old. Combined vaccines have been shown to be very safe and are of no higher risk than single vaccines, using combined vaccines means fewer injections, fewer visits to the doctor/clinic, and less upset for the child. Thinking about how many challenges an infants immune system encounters on a daily basis and how many individual pathogens they would come into contact with just sitting in the waiting room at the GP, the vaccines themselves are nothing by comparison.

Whilst I think that the anti vax brigade are dangerous fools at best, I take great exception to your belittling of women and the use of the word impressionable. I would hope that a robust and factual discussion about the absolute benefits of vaccinations will help to allay anyone who might have, for whatever reason, concerns about vaccinations. Stifling conversation will not help at all.

I'm very keen to understand misinformation better.
Misinformation is a scourge. This worries me a lot.
I'm not sure that shutting down terrible ideas & mixes of lies with fact is the right way to stop disinformation, though. I may be wrong... maybe we have to protect impressionable people from themselves.

It's tricky.

maybe we have to protect impressionable people from themselves

Who's 'we'?

Are we in North Korea?! Kim is that you??

Yup. Definitely a thread about a thread. The OP is on the gardasil thread expressing strong opinions.

To which I want to say "there but for the grace of God" OP. Be glad that you and yours cope well with vaccinations. But your experience is not universal and is not some sort of truth.

Why such a strong desire to impose on others?

It's probably a thread about many threads

There are quite a lot of them, and they appear really quite often

One of the MN rules is "no misleading behaviour". Could it not be argued that those who perpetrate anti vax behaviour (I am not talking about those who's family have had medically diagnosed reactions) are behaving misleadingly?

No, I don't think that's the sense it's mean here.

Unless of course an OP slips so badly that it's clear they're not just a worried FTM whose 'research' has worried her.

Threads should perhaps be put into the topic asap - as think MNHQ usually move them

It's a thread about a subject I feel strongly about, I'm on most of the anti vax threads. Not much point looking at my posting history glad you've got the time but you will find I have repeatedly commented on vaccine / autism nonsense.

@RancidOldHag that's a different spin on my meaning and maybe that's what I should be asking / questioning. If you want to discuss whether or not to vaccine, do it in the right topic which won't create so much emotion because you're unlikely to head there if you're so anti it. However I usually look at trending and lots of anti vax ends up in AIBU.

I really do appreciate everyone's comments and had an idea most would disagree; if it was about other topics I'd agree. I just can't accept people posting such misleading nonsense is allowed to stand without any HQ pushbacks. Maybe I'm less liberal than I thought.

I think banning those threads just gives anti-vaxxers more reason to indulge in the fantasy that they are the victims of some kind of conspiracy.

I like to think that anyone of normal intelligence will realise the stupidity of their ‘arguments’ after having ‘done their research’.