Parents’ Group Asks For The Term ‘Anti-Vaxxers’ To Be Retired, But They Won’t Be Pleased With The Alternatives Suggested By Twitter
You have to be careful what you ask for on Twitter. An organization of “crazy mothers”—if they’ve already reclaimed that accusation, who knows why “anti-vaxxer” is the one they take issue with—have released a statement asking the media to call them “vaccine risk aware,” calling the widespread use of “anti-vaxxers” derogatory and inflammatory. Commenters put forth their criticisms of the proposed term, not to mention hundreds of scathing alternatives.
Maybe people would not have such an “inflammatory” attitude towards anti-vaxxers if they did not spread repeatedly debunked information that is contributing to the resurgence of measles, a disease previously eliminated in the US. As for whether it “marginalizes women and their experiences,” we would guess that women who choose not to put their kids at risk of contracting preventable diseases (which they could also pass on to immunocompromised people and infants who have not yet received their vaccinations) don’t have much of a problem with it.
Here is the original post from the group’s Twitter account
Image credits: Crazymothers1
Twitter users showed that they have a host of other, almost funny if not a bit dark, names they could be calling campaigners against vaccinations. One compared the group’s demand to that of TERFs (trans-exclusionary radical feminists) who have deemed that term derogatory despite doing… well, what the acronym says…
Commenters also added that if these self-described “crazy mothers” were as aware of the risks of vaccines as they claim to be, they would know that said risks are negligible compared to the risks of the diseases they prevent, as organizations like the Center for Disease Control and World Health Organization will tell you.
However, some are suggesting that responding to anti-vax talking points with repeatedly proven counter-evidence does little to stop the spread of their lies, and that we should be focusing on removing their platform to repeat them in the first place. What do you think we should be calling groups like this—if anything at all?
Comments came pouring in and Twitter users were having none of it
Image credits: FrankConniff
Image credits: SamWangPhD
Image credits: MMSnodgrass
Image credits: AlexandraErin
Image credits: RayHarwick
Image credits: AlexandraErin
Image credits: TheBarefootSage
Image credits: SamSykesSwears
Image credits: baddestmamajama
Image credits: drphiliplee1
Image credits: ellle_em
Image credits: ATinyGremlin
Image credits: drjanaway
Image credits: drjanaway
Image credits: VABVOX
Image credits: jimbaldwin123
Image credits: NotZaphod79
Image credits: jaxcarys
Image credits: JuliusGoat
Image credits: MazHem_
Image credits: BCHvids
Image credits: markyzaguirre
Image credits: henderstu
Image credits: natfinnonE
Image credits: AmyDentata
Image credits: dense_evi
Image credits: mawson_craig
Image credits: Brendelbored
Image credits: DukeofOmnium
Image credits: deanburleymma
Bloody anti-vaxxers! I'm autistic, and when the day comes that I have children, I WILL GET THEM VACCINATED!!!!
I'm autistic, vaccinated and NOT DEAD! Autism is better than death anyday even if it was linked to vaccines
Load More Replies...True story - when I was in the first grade, we were all taken to the gym where the local doctor, school nurse and two teacher waited for us. We stood in line, were taken behind the curtain, given two shots, ushered over to Mr. Redman (the school janitor) who then gave us a tube full of pink liquid to drink. Once we drank that, we were sent to Mrs. Dunn (the school cook) who gave us each a cookie, choice of chocolate or peanut butter, and a carton of milk. Then we sat on the bleachers until everyone was done and then we got to play for 30 minutes. NONE OF US DEVELOPED AUTISM.
I prefer 'indirect new age murderer' The WHO says that "vaccine hesitancy is one of the 10 largest threats to global health".
Load More Replies...It amazes me that anti-vaxxers often believe: 1) The moon landing was faked 2) GMOs are a deadly threat 3) Man-made climate change isn't real 4) Scientists refuse to release their cure for cancer 5) Young earth creationism etc. etc. etc. In other words, to be a scientist is to be part of a massive world wide conspiracy.
Don't forget that a lot are probably also flat-earthers. Because somehow in the 21st freaking century there are morons who will swallow any conspiracy theory on offer.
Load More Replies...How's about - Science Denialist. It can be a blanket term for antivaxxers, climate change deniers, flat Earthers, abstinence only educators, a while myriad of conspiracy theorists, etc. Basically, anyone who looks at hard science/evidence and is like "nah, that's not for me."
Good one! These knot-heads apparently have nothing but contempt for logic and knowledge. If we were all like them, we would never have made it out of the trees. Hell, we would never have evolved past Homo erectus - and may have gone extinct.
Load More Replies...Ok. I'll stop using 'anti-vaxxers' and start using bio-terrorist. That fits them better, anyway.
Bio-terrorists is the perfect name! Imma get everyone I know saying that
Load More Replies...What you need is a good tagline. How about, "Anti-Vaxxers: Embrace the Ignorance!"
My amazing, funny, clever, beautiful son has Autism. He had all of his jabs at the correct times. He was born with Autism but even if it was given to him by his vaccines, I wouldn't change a thing. He's medically fit and the best kid you could ever wish to meet. He attends mainstream school, he goes into a special programme in the mornings, an assisted lunch club and in a regular class in the afternoons with his assistant. We pay for him to attend the after school club twice a week for his socialisation. We recently got his yearly SENCO write up and all 8 teachers and TAs who work with him said what a pleasure he is to work with. It boils my blood that he is what these idiots are scared of. They can only wish that their sickly kids were half as awesome as mine is.
He sounds truly lovely. Vaccines really don't cause autism though. There is so much proof - no-one could replicate Andrew Wakefield's results for a start. Unsurprising as he made them up. There is a lot of evidence, growing evidence, that it is genetic. The information is out there for anyone to read including those 'crazy mothers' who for some reason don't want to believe it.
Load More Replies...Dear "ANTI VAXXERS"... currently, people are dying in Samoa, mostly children under 5, b/c they don't have high vaccination rates. "Vaccine risk aware" means you listened to a medical professional. Refusing vaccines is the medical equivalent of flat-earthing, so... ANTI-VAXXERS. BTW, the term isn't gendered, so why pulll the "marginalizing women" card? I've met male anti-vaxxers. For more on Samoa and other measles outbreaks: BBCWOrld News 4 December 2019.
That was my first thought. Bio terrorists come in every sex.
Load More Replies...I guess? There are so many things in that ANTI-VAXER post that just escape all logic.
Load More Replies...Be careful with what you wish. Twitter has spoken and their names are much much better than anti-vaxxers. I'll personally go for Polio Party
- Sickness Supporters - Polio Promoters - Ailment Advocates - Disease Defenders - Measle Moms
A friend of mine suffers from a seizure disorder thanks to his unknown allergy to the MMR vaccine. Guess what. He's all-for people getting vaccinated. Just because 1:1,000,000 people might see an adverse reaction those other 999,999 people shouldn't be put at risk of infectious disease.
Sadly, I am afraid this will not stop until the unvaxxinated child of some airhead celebrity dies horribly from a preventable disease. THAT they will pay attention to, because these airheads are the type that lives vicarously through soap operas and the National Enquirer.
Roald Dahl daughter died, he wasn't anti-vax, it happened before the vaccine was routinely available
Load More Replies...You stand against a life-preserving procedure and you're butthurt by being called anti-vaxxers? You would deny your own children life-saving vaccinations you're butthurt by being called anti-vaxxers? Fine. You're now hereby the "Self-Righteous A******s Who are not fit to make a Decision for Themselves and much less Others"
If these idiots don't see the benefits of vaccination, then they only need to look at the Island of Samoa. For 2019, 62 people have died since an Infected New Zealander came to their island. Only 30% of people were vaccinated. They have now basically closed the island. People who have not been vaccinated hang red flags on their door so medical personnel can stop by and vaccinate them. Doesn't that sound horrible? They have no data on who will be effected by the side effects of the MEASLES! A disease that was virtually eradicated in the US and Europe, but has begun surging again thanks to the ANTI-VAXXER community. Samoa has been completely devastated and will take decades to recover. I know, I know...Jenny McCarthy (a leading medical expert) said that vaccines cause autism. Wouldn't you rather take a chance on autism, rather than a chance on a dead child?
Actually anti vaxxer is about the politest thing I've heard them called.I wonder if any of them have heard about Samoa?
Since anti-vaxxers are essentially child murderers, how about we call them Freddie Kruegers. When you choose to put innocent lives in danger, you also choose to be called out for what you are doing. I don't understand why it's so damn difficult to just vaccinate your children. If you don't want to be called something, don't do the action that gets you called the name.
I hate ant-vaxers who try to link autism to vaccines. It’s complete BS and they have no evidence to prove it. Stop.
Their social media name, "Crazymothers", is a clue to their mindset. I got a laugh from all the realistic alternative terms people came up with, "anti-vaxxer" is very mild compared to more honest terms.
"More than 140,000 people died from measles last year as the number of cases around the world surged once again, official estimates suggest. Most of the lives cut short were children aged under five." https://www.bbc.com/news/health-50659893
People think this is coming out of the blue. I live in MN, and we had an outbreak, mostly among Somali immigrants. It turns out that the Somali community had been targetted by anti-vaccination crazies who would come to meetings to "educate", and the Somalis had been swayed. There is money for those crazies. They are spreading these rumours to make money. It's not just internet memes causing this. (FYI, I hear that most in the the Somali community realized their mistake.) It's terrible that these people were targetted that way!
A little story: 20-25 years ago, my sister decided she wouldn't keep vaccinating her kids. She had 2 kids already she'd been vaccinating, but had heard some info and was started to get worried and decided she wouldn't keep vaccinating. (She eventually had 5 kids.) My family is very non-confrontational. My two oldest sisters never agreed or collaborated on anything IN THEIR LIVES. However, they got together and sat down with the 3rd sister and talked to her about how things were before we had vaccines. They are now in their mid-60s, so they knew some things. They DID A GOOD THING, because 3rd sister LISTENED, and decided to vaccinate her kids after that. This was just before the internet took off, thank god.
These people do not deserve children. I wish there was a vaccine for anti-stupidity!
I´m sure Papa Nurgle values their "contributions" to society ... damn Pro-Plaguers.
They refuse to vaccinate their children, but guarantee,most, if not all of these parents are vaccinated. I think they should be quarantined and exposed to ebola, or any other terminal disease and let them feel the fear if not knowing if they're going to contract and die from a preventable disease also. Or, remove kids from their care.
Pro-childhood murder? Pro-temp mother/father hood? Pro-long horrendous death? Pro-I'd rather my child be dead than on a spectrum? Anti-life? New fad killers? It's sad that the majority of the dimwits have the luxury of being vaccinated themselves.
"Walking Petri dish of death" has a nice ring to it. "Child abuser" is probably the most accurate. Purveyor of death? Murderer?
People who worship at the Altar of Modern Medicine will have a very unpleasant old age, if not sooner. And I am glad about that; they deserve it. Following false gods who promise that a cure (for MS, cancer, diabetes2, heart disease, whatever disease of modern civilization) is either non-existent, impossible, or just around the corner is just plain stupid. I am glad that you pro-vaxxers are going to have a s****y old age. But, please, don't try to make me pay for it. You are having your fun now wallowing in your pathetic false sense of security worshipping doctors; you will be paying for it.
It would be different if it was only affecting you, but in cases like this your choices also effect other people, so there fore the choice shouldn't be in one persons hands.
Load More Replies...Bloody anti-vaxxers! I'm autistic, and when the day comes that I have children, I WILL GET THEM VACCINATED!!!!
I'm autistic, vaccinated and NOT DEAD! Autism is better than death anyday even if it was linked to vaccines
Load More Replies...True story - when I was in the first grade, we were all taken to the gym where the local doctor, school nurse and two teacher waited for us. We stood in line, were taken behind the curtain, given two shots, ushered over to Mr. Redman (the school janitor) who then gave us a tube full of pink liquid to drink. Once we drank that, we were sent to Mrs. Dunn (the school cook) who gave us each a cookie, choice of chocolate or peanut butter, and a carton of milk. Then we sat on the bleachers until everyone was done and then we got to play for 30 minutes. NONE OF US DEVELOPED AUTISM.
I prefer 'indirect new age murderer' The WHO says that "vaccine hesitancy is one of the 10 largest threats to global health".
Load More Replies...It amazes me that anti-vaxxers often believe: 1) The moon landing was faked 2) GMOs are a deadly threat 3) Man-made climate change isn't real 4) Scientists refuse to release their cure for cancer 5) Young earth creationism etc. etc. etc. In other words, to be a scientist is to be part of a massive world wide conspiracy.
Don't forget that a lot are probably also flat-earthers. Because somehow in the 21st freaking century there are morons who will swallow any conspiracy theory on offer.
Load More Replies...How's about - Science Denialist. It can be a blanket term for antivaxxers, climate change deniers, flat Earthers, abstinence only educators, a while myriad of conspiracy theorists, etc. Basically, anyone who looks at hard science/evidence and is like "nah, that's not for me."
Good one! These knot-heads apparently have nothing but contempt for logic and knowledge. If we were all like them, we would never have made it out of the trees. Hell, we would never have evolved past Homo erectus - and may have gone extinct.
Load More Replies...Ok. I'll stop using 'anti-vaxxers' and start using bio-terrorist. That fits them better, anyway.
Bio-terrorists is the perfect name! Imma get everyone I know saying that
Load More Replies...What you need is a good tagline. How about, "Anti-Vaxxers: Embrace the Ignorance!"
My amazing, funny, clever, beautiful son has Autism. He had all of his jabs at the correct times. He was born with Autism but even if it was given to him by his vaccines, I wouldn't change a thing. He's medically fit and the best kid you could ever wish to meet. He attends mainstream school, he goes into a special programme in the mornings, an assisted lunch club and in a regular class in the afternoons with his assistant. We pay for him to attend the after school club twice a week for his socialisation. We recently got his yearly SENCO write up and all 8 teachers and TAs who work with him said what a pleasure he is to work with. It boils my blood that he is what these idiots are scared of. They can only wish that their sickly kids were half as awesome as mine is.
He sounds truly lovely. Vaccines really don't cause autism though. There is so much proof - no-one could replicate Andrew Wakefield's results for a start. Unsurprising as he made them up. There is a lot of evidence, growing evidence, that it is genetic. The information is out there for anyone to read including those 'crazy mothers' who for some reason don't want to believe it.
Load More Replies...Dear "ANTI VAXXERS"... currently, people are dying in Samoa, mostly children under 5, b/c they don't have high vaccination rates. "Vaccine risk aware" means you listened to a medical professional. Refusing vaccines is the medical equivalent of flat-earthing, so... ANTI-VAXXERS. BTW, the term isn't gendered, so why pulll the "marginalizing women" card? I've met male anti-vaxxers. For more on Samoa and other measles outbreaks: BBCWOrld News 4 December 2019.
That was my first thought. Bio terrorists come in every sex.
Load More Replies...I guess? There are so many things in that ANTI-VAXER post that just escape all logic.
Load More Replies...Be careful with what you wish. Twitter has spoken and their names are much much better than anti-vaxxers. I'll personally go for Polio Party
- Sickness Supporters - Polio Promoters - Ailment Advocates - Disease Defenders - Measle Moms
A friend of mine suffers from a seizure disorder thanks to his unknown allergy to the MMR vaccine. Guess what. He's all-for people getting vaccinated. Just because 1:1,000,000 people might see an adverse reaction those other 999,999 people shouldn't be put at risk of infectious disease.
Sadly, I am afraid this will not stop until the unvaxxinated child of some airhead celebrity dies horribly from a preventable disease. THAT they will pay attention to, because these airheads are the type that lives vicarously through soap operas and the National Enquirer.
Roald Dahl daughter died, he wasn't anti-vax, it happened before the vaccine was routinely available
Load More Replies...You stand against a life-preserving procedure and you're butthurt by being called anti-vaxxers? You would deny your own children life-saving vaccinations you're butthurt by being called anti-vaxxers? Fine. You're now hereby the "Self-Righteous A******s Who are not fit to make a Decision for Themselves and much less Others"
If these idiots don't see the benefits of vaccination, then they only need to look at the Island of Samoa. For 2019, 62 people have died since an Infected New Zealander came to their island. Only 30% of people were vaccinated. They have now basically closed the island. People who have not been vaccinated hang red flags on their door so medical personnel can stop by and vaccinate them. Doesn't that sound horrible? They have no data on who will be effected by the side effects of the MEASLES! A disease that was virtually eradicated in the US and Europe, but has begun surging again thanks to the ANTI-VAXXER community. Samoa has been completely devastated and will take decades to recover. I know, I know...Jenny McCarthy (a leading medical expert) said that vaccines cause autism. Wouldn't you rather take a chance on autism, rather than a chance on a dead child?
Actually anti vaxxer is about the politest thing I've heard them called.I wonder if any of them have heard about Samoa?
Since anti-vaxxers are essentially child murderers, how about we call them Freddie Kruegers. When you choose to put innocent lives in danger, you also choose to be called out for what you are doing. I don't understand why it's so damn difficult to just vaccinate your children. If you don't want to be called something, don't do the action that gets you called the name.
I hate ant-vaxers who try to link autism to vaccines. It’s complete BS and they have no evidence to prove it. Stop.
Their social media name, "Crazymothers", is a clue to their mindset. I got a laugh from all the realistic alternative terms people came up with, "anti-vaxxer" is very mild compared to more honest terms.
"More than 140,000 people died from measles last year as the number of cases around the world surged once again, official estimates suggest. Most of the lives cut short were children aged under five." https://www.bbc.com/news/health-50659893
People think this is coming out of the blue. I live in MN, and we had an outbreak, mostly among Somali immigrants. It turns out that the Somali community had been targetted by anti-vaccination crazies who would come to meetings to "educate", and the Somalis had been swayed. There is money for those crazies. They are spreading these rumours to make money. It's not just internet memes causing this. (FYI, I hear that most in the the Somali community realized their mistake.) It's terrible that these people were targetted that way!
A little story: 20-25 years ago, my sister decided she wouldn't keep vaccinating her kids. She had 2 kids already she'd been vaccinating, but had heard some info and was started to get worried and decided she wouldn't keep vaccinating. (She eventually had 5 kids.) My family is very non-confrontational. My two oldest sisters never agreed or collaborated on anything IN THEIR LIVES. However, they got together and sat down with the 3rd sister and talked to her about how things were before we had vaccines. They are now in their mid-60s, so they knew some things. They DID A GOOD THING, because 3rd sister LISTENED, and decided to vaccinate her kids after that. This was just before the internet took off, thank god.
These people do not deserve children. I wish there was a vaccine for anti-stupidity!
I´m sure Papa Nurgle values their "contributions" to society ... damn Pro-Plaguers.
They refuse to vaccinate their children, but guarantee,most, if not all of these parents are vaccinated. I think they should be quarantined and exposed to ebola, or any other terminal disease and let them feel the fear if not knowing if they're going to contract and die from a preventable disease also. Or, remove kids from their care.
Pro-childhood murder? Pro-temp mother/father hood? Pro-long horrendous death? Pro-I'd rather my child be dead than on a spectrum? Anti-life? New fad killers? It's sad that the majority of the dimwits have the luxury of being vaccinated themselves.
"Walking Petri dish of death" has a nice ring to it. "Child abuser" is probably the most accurate. Purveyor of death? Murderer?
People who worship at the Altar of Modern Medicine will have a very unpleasant old age, if not sooner. And I am glad about that; they deserve it. Following false gods who promise that a cure (for MS, cancer, diabetes2, heart disease, whatever disease of modern civilization) is either non-existent, impossible, or just around the corner is just plain stupid. I am glad that you pro-vaxxers are going to have a s****y old age. But, please, don't try to make me pay for it. You are having your fun now wallowing in your pathetic false sense of security worshipping doctors; you will be paying for it.
It would be different if it was only affecting you, but in cases like this your choices also effect other people, so there fore the choice shouldn't be in one persons hands.
Load More Replies...
241
108