to want the anti-vaxxers to explain themselves?

[Goldfsh]

My Facebook feed is full of GP practices etc. promoting the flu jab, and EVERY response is from people saying they are full of poison, giving everyone flu, part of a government conspiracy, Bill Gates, big pharma, etc.

It doesn't matter where the GP surgery is in the country, the responses are all the same.

Just... WOT IS GOING ON????

It's literally 100% of the respondents. Please can someone explain to me why the general public (on my feeds anyway) have become convinced that the flu jab is part of a conspiracy... to what end?!

That’s an interesting post @zazazaaar Thank you.

I was going to say this. YABU to ask them to explain themselves because it will be a load of pseudo scientific claptrap.

This answers your question OP. Anti vaxxers choose to blame the vaccine if they feel the timing fits. @Berlinlover blames the vaccine for her having a period, and blames the vaccine for cancer developing months later. She is ignoring the fact that the mini pill is renowned for causing random intermittent bleeds. She could just as easily blame what she had for breakfast that day, or what TV programme she watched the night before, or what kind of washing powder she used. There is no logic to the link anti vaxxers make with whatever misfortune befalls them at an unspecified time post vaccine.

My theory is that the majority of anti vaxxers like to be controversial. They often believe all the conspiracy theories too. They think it makes them clever and edgy, and they like the attention.

@LochKatrine No hunches here, I based this decision carefully on a number of risk factors. My husband is a chemist so understands and researches these things much more carefully than I do. However we are not anti-vaxxers by any stretch of the definition, we just look at every vaccine on a case by case basis.

I just ignore them, there are some anti vaxxers in my family who chose not to vaccinate their children, had their own reasons not to, but they don’t spout it all over SM.

when my youngest ended up in intensive care at 9 weeks old after a massive seizure, so many people suggested that the vaccines had caused it, until they were told he hadn’t had his 8 week ones yet as the nurse who did them was on annual leave.

the stress and worry I was under, makes me wonder if I would have questioned it too if he had had the vaccines.

it was a genetic disorder anyway, and I share my boys journey a lot on SM, it’s mainly Americans who still to this day try and blame the vaccines that my son didn’t have.

Really. Ok.

25 years ago as an 18 year old student nurse I declined my flu vaccine for no other reason than I hated injections. I did a placement in intensive care that winter and witnessed a perfectly healthy , no underlying health conditions, 16 year old girl go into cardiac arrest twice due to the flu. She survived thank goodness. I’ve never missed a flu vaccine since.

Absolutely. Plus the spurious claims of scientific knowledge, or medical adjacent information.
Yes, you're right, there are some pretty wild claims on here. Thinking and feeling, rather than proper scientific proof. Shrugs.

I really don't think they're in the majority, OP. We offer the vouchers for the flu jab through work, and take-up is pretty high.

The anti vax crowd are just more vocal.

Same as the racist stuff, it’s a small number of people with an agenda to spread misinformation via social media. Some of the accounts may well be fake, the only purpose is to spread the idea in the hive mind that authorities are not to be trusted. Unfortunately lots of people see it and think it is real, and adopt it as their own mindset.

Yes, good points.

Because conspiracy theorists for ANY topic, from vaccines to chem trails to dinosaurs being fake, absolutely love to blather on endlessly about it and tell everyone else they are deluded and blind to what's going on.
On posts that get tend to get these kind of comments, I just read the actual post and don't bother to look at what people say. Doesn't annoy me then!

Effective for what? All I can find are figures for hospitalisation and out patient appointments, both with a range of figures. Surely most people with flu don't need hospitalisation anyway?

I think you have the wrong poster. I was just correcting some wrong data about vaccine effectiveness.

Presumably because those without strong feelings about vaccines just book their a lot and get their vaccine and there’s not much to say in social media about it, so you end up with an echo chamber.

I’m all for bodily autonomy. I take every vaccine I’m offered because that’s what I want to do. If others don’t, their body their choice.

So how is effectiveness measured? You're quoting figures.

Yes, I am quoting figures. Official figures based on research.

They are on MN too. Just ignore them. They don’t like that.

There's a really worrying anti education trend with suspicion of experts and actual knowledge. It's in all areas, medicine, economics, social demographics, actual education. I hate it on the news when they interview random people on the street. I don't care what they think, I want to hear from someone with several degrees and years of experience.

Absolutely. I wonder if it's an extension of the "all feelings are valid" trend? I agree with you about the vox pops.

This is what is probably driving the anti vax theories. Instead of looking at it from a scientific viewpoint, they see that it often doesn’t work and jump to various other conclusions.

But figures for what? Does that stop 50% of people getting flu? They get it less severely? They won't be hospitalised with it? The Govt. website just gives figures for hospitalisation and out patients.

I’ve recently had flu and Covid boosters at our local pharmacy. The nurse who administered my jab said she was worried about the number of anti vaxxers out there and the resurgence of diseases like measles; she was shocked at the number of pregnant women and mums who don’t trust vaccines “because they get all their information from Mumsnet and not health professionals!”

I don't know about conspiracy, but I have my immunity.
Therefore I don't need to be injected with some shit, especially when an adult and "allowed" to make my own decisions.
Just now, coming out of most probably COVID.
Nastiest thing I ever had, extremely sore throat, even a bit short of breath. All good after ten days.
Admittedly feel a bit low after the experience, food doesn't taste of much, but all sorted out for winter.😊
So no conspiracy, but common sense.
Not talking about the chronically ill, overweight etc.

I am not generally anti Vax, however I have a child who has had two serious vaccine reactions and in his case I am now extremely hesitant to offer further vaccines.

He developed ITP (when the body destroys its platelets) after a flu vaccine, and he developed pericarditis after his second COVID vaccine.

Serious reactions can and do occur.