Does the anti vax drama affect you?

[Onthegrapevine]

I am seeing more and more videos surfacing from anti vax folk along laughing and joking about the vaccinated being dead within the year amongst other things.

When the conspiracy theories started when there was first talk of a vaccine I honestly laughed it off, but over a year in and now I’m double jabbed it’s getting to me.

It feels like such a divide between “us and them.” Some anti vax are now claiming they are looking to “protect people” and that’s why they are “educating us.”

Prior to Covid I was aware of the conspiracy theories surrounding the flu jab etc, my own midwife even said she was “on the fence” about the flu jab when I asked when I should have mine. But those conspiracies were very sporadic and I didn’t feel bombarded with them in the way I do covid.

These are so loud, and they are everywhere.

Is anyone else feeling the same?

Meh, it doesn't affect me, though it's kind of irritating. If what they claim is true, then I wouldn't be able to live to see the consequences, and they will have a great world with only people clever enough not to take the vaccine alive.

I have never seen any, they must be on stuff like Facebook and Twitter, I only use Twitter for complaining about things, apart from that he only SM I use is here occasionally though and I wouldn't click on them if they were here.

@Parker231

I don’t know any anti vaxxers in real life. My friends and family are all very positive about the Covid vaccinations. I’ve only read on Mn of those refusing the vaccine. I think anti vaxxers shout loudly on social media as they are desperate to be hear and no one is listening (quite rightly) to them. I think anti vaxxers are ridiculous.

You're lucky. I have the bad luck of my oldest friend going down this route and is now barely speaking to me 'because it's the fault of people like me we have vaccines and lockdowns'

The thing is, the original conspiracy theorists, were always going to react this way. It's illogical to expect otherwise.

As for the ones that were/are concerned about the covid vaccine specifically, bullying them,shaming them, laughing at them etc. is not going to convince them otherwise is it? Ironically, that kind of treatment is more likely to make them dig their heels in, or worse fall down the SM rabbit hole.

I can see both sides of the vaccine passport issue. On the one hand I support anyone's right to refuse the vaccine for any reason whatsoever. It frustrates me that many people make the decision based on fundamental misunderstandings of various things but there we go!

On the other hand it's clear that 50 people in a room, all of whom have been double vaccinated, are much less likely to spread covid between themselves (and subsequently others) than 50 unvaccinated people. So, whilst it remains necessary to keep downward pressure on case numbers I can see the logic in suggesting that only vaccinated people should take part in certain activities. Particularly if the alternative is to ban those sorts of activities all together.

Keeping track of regular testing is much more administratively burdensome and open to abuse. It's not straightforward one way or the other.

I don't know a single anti vaxxer in real life or indeed anyone who hasnt taken the vaccine except one distant uncle. And I am BAME so if you went by the media, I should know several. i only see this on MN.

I don't care l been vaccinated for months now

Work in social care some people l work with don't want the vaccine. Either they don't believe in it or are pregnant or breastfeeding. Up to them makes no difference to me. I have yet to meet a real life person who does not have a good reason for being vacinated.

Not being vacinated that should say.

I haven’t come across anything like this in real life.

If you’re not interested in these videos click “not interested” and the algorithm will update.

I think this great divide is very much an online thing. Just as I don’t know anyone in real life who washes their shopping or strips off at their front door before showering straight away and assume it’s a (vocal) tiny minority who go online a lot, this is what I assume too for Piers Corbyn and the like. Most people are very moderate in real life. I also assume that most people (unlike those you read about on MN) don’t interrogate people they barely know on their vaccine status. Certainly no one asks me.

The only debate I hear in real life is on vaccine passports. I’m against them, at least until the end of the summer and every adult has had their 2nd if they want it, and this doesn’t seem to be that unusual a stance. Again though, no one IRL seems to care that much.

I don't know anyone that has refused the vaccine and I have a big family with quite a few friends.

My DSS is anti the Covid vaccination. He's T1 diabetic, so more likely to become very unwell if contracts Covid, but he doesn't appear to give a shit. He breached lockdown from the start, didn't isolate when his lodger tested positive, won't wear a mask anywhere and thinks we're all sheeple. He maintains that the whole thing is a scam to make money for Big Pharma.

We try and avoid the subject.

His ex, mother to DGD, is the same and she objects to having her temperature taken with an infra-red thermometer when entering restaurants etc.

I just assume they are intellectually challenged in some way.

Just out of curiosity, how many people who are questioning "anti vaxxers" have heard of or looked at the MHRA Yellow Card or the VAERS covid reporting sites? I'm guessing a lot of people on here may not have even heard of these. They're for people who have had adverse effects from the jab to report them so the data can be collated (yellow card is U.K. based, VAERS is USA & there's also a European site but the name escapes me).

I think if some of you look at the stats on these sites, you'll be shocked. Especially as the belief is that only between 1 & 10% of actual adverse effects are being reported. And also, why isn't any of this data being reported on news channels & in media? Why the secrecy?

[quote Onthegrapevine]@pinkearedcow every other video I see on various social media apps is anti vax. The algorithm probably picking them up as I’ve googled “covid cases today.” I should delete them all really! Terrible for mental health.[/quote]
This is 100% what is happening to me too. Everywhere I look on SoMe now seems to be these kind of videos and posts. Today it was "all the ferrets are dead" or people sharing a prolific 'anti-vaxers'' posts on Instagram. It is having a significant impact now on my sleep and MH.

Report them to facebook etc, they will now take down antivax posts

@4forkssake, it you are talking about this, it has been linked on coronavirus board numerous times, so I assume a lot of people must have seen it.

The simple fact of the matter is that people who deny vaccines are denying others their right to a safer existence, in EXACTLY the same way a drunk driver does.

This just illustrates quite nicely the direction much of the incoherent ranting is coming from.

People should do as they please but accept the consequences.

For example, my DS and BIL are against having the covid vaccination for various reasons, but they want to go abroad so they are having it just in case it becomes a requirement for travel.

Someone I used to work with is a vehement anti-vaxxer, social media and protests, the lot. As a result, noone wants to work with him for fear of being spoken to like crap because they have had their vaccine, called sheeple or worse because they have had their jab/s. Not appropriate for a work environment.

There is a difference between the two. Vehement anti-vaxxers are morons in my opinion. They believe junk science and conspiracy theory and berate those around them. Those who are cautious but have done 'proper' research are not the same, but they should accept that some doors will be closed to them without complaint. It is a consequence of their choice.

For what its worth, I think everyone possible should have the jab to protect themselves and those that are not able to have the jab/jab will not be as effective for them for medical reasons. Herd immunity works (see smallpox, measles etc). For new recruits to jobs that require close contact (NHS etc) the jab should be compulsory. ExDH is a prison guard and had a raft of jabs he had to have before he could start work. That is not removing bodily autonomy, it is a condition of employment. You could choose another career.

Social media has a lot to answer for with whipping up bad feeling between the 'two factions' but its not compulsory to look. Live and let live.

I think that most anti vaxxers don’t really consider that we are now second or third generation with regard to the major childhood vaccines. Without these vaccines a significant number would not have made it to adulthood.
Smallpox was eradicated back in the 60s and we no longer have to vaccinate against. The same is true for TB in this country. It’s true that the population enjoys better health and immune systems but How ironic that where malnutrition made us more vulnerable to disease in the past the new ‘plague’ kills the obese.
From a purely scientific point of view vaccines interfere with natural selection, but consider the effect on the NHS if we were to stop all vaccines.

I haven't seen anything from anti-vaxxers on my social media. The only people I've heard of that are refusing it are the sister and her DH of one of my friends. They were also anti-masks, anti-lockdown etc and my friend has fallen out with them because they laugh at her for being a sheep, whereas she feels they have put her mum at risk by breaking lock down rules. What a mess.

It doesn't affect me because if anyone I was friends with spouted this shit, it would be the line in the sand.
Ignorance, combined with stupidity and selfishness?
Get da fuck out of my life.

@loulouljh

There is a massive divide and I am seeing some horrible behaviour from people. Most "anti-vaxxers" are actually not that. They have legitimate concerns about this vaccination but any attempt to explain that is met with real vitriol.

It is not a good time in this country.

This

@4forkssake

Just out of curiosity, how many people who are questioning "anti vaxxers" have heard of or looked at the MHRA Yellow Card or the VAERS covid reporting sites? I'm guessing a lot of people on here may not have even heard of these. They're for people who have had adverse effects from the jab to report them so the data can be collated (yellow card is U.K. based, VAERS is USA & there's also a European site but the name escapes me).

I think if some of you look at the stats on these sites, you'll be shocked. Especially as the belief is that only between 1 & 10% of actual adverse effects are being reported. And also, why isn't any of this data being reported on news channels & in media? Why the secrecy?

This

The yellow card system is self reporting and reported by health care providers so not particularly as scientific as thought by many.
I think you need to look at yellow card stats for other commonly used drugs to see the bigger picture.
For a drug that has been given to over 50 million people just in the uk it has incredibly low number of serious side effects.
Just because death is a reported side effect doesn’t mean that the vaccine was anything to do with it, in the same way that a positive Covid test within 28days of death means the individual died of Covid.