This Pediatrician Comes Up With New Conspiracy Theory And Successfully Convinces Anti-Vaxxer Mom To Vaccinate Her Child
82Kviews
Despite the various attempts to educate people about vaccines and provide them with correct, science-based information, the enthusiasts of vaccination conspiracy theories are not planning to end their anti-vaxx movement anytime soon. Doctors who often encounter these people have a heavy burden of trying to change their ill views. However, success stories are scarce. Probably because it takes unconventional measures to battle their flawed logic and not everyone finds the right way to do so. Luckily, there are still doctors who manage to get through to people who seem not to be able to listen to reason. A Reddit user shared an excellent example of how to do it right. (Facebook cover image: quinnanya)
More info: reddit.com
On a thread dedicated to sharing the encounters doctors had with anti-vaxxers, one med student under the username _Haliax_ shared a story like no other. While on the rotation with a pediatrician, he met a “conspiracy theory magnet”.
The woman expressed an interest in various conspiracy theories as soon as she met the doctor. So it was not surprising that she was also immersed in the anti-vaxx movement. However, the doctor wasn’t fazed by her rant about the harm vaccines supposedly cause and managed to change her mind with only one sentence. Probably hard to believe it’s possible? Read the whole story below to find out what he said.
“4th-year med student reporting in.
Had a rotation with a pediatrician where we ended up in the classic encounter with an anti-vaccination parent.
This lady was a conspiracy theory magnet. She casually mentioned everything from 9/11 to chemtrails. Of course, she loved the idea of the vaccine conspiracy as well, opting to not protect her one year old to stick it to big pharma.
I relayed all of this to my attending after my exam (I would see the patient first, gather history and do my exam to present to my attending physician). He got this sort of lazy smirk on his face that screamed: “watch this”.
We go back into the exam room and we cover all of the important bits of a well-child encounter. Growth charts, behavioral milestones, nutrition, sleep…
And then we get to vaccines. She lists approximately 15 reasons why vaccines are more dangerous than the disease they protect against (lol) in addition to the various evils of the pharmaceutical industry.
My attending listens quietly until she’s done with her soapbox (about one eternity later), and then interjects with:
“Have you considered the possibility that anti-vaccine propaganda could be an attempt by the Russians or the Chinese to weaken the health of the United States population?”
In a moment of catastrophic cognitive dissonance, I swear I heard a strange popping noise as her brain misfired. It actually broke her. The allure of the increasingly ridiculous conspiracy theory was just too strong.
She ended up agreeing to a modified vaccine schedule. I was flabbergasted. My attending just grinned at me in response. To this day I’m not sure the medical ethics of the situation are totally palatable, but goddamn the result was amazing.”
Here’s how people reacted
82Kviews
Share on Facebook
Actually there is some evidence the Russia did engage in antivax posts from the same FB accounts they used to influence the 2016 election.
Tracey, was it the same FB accounts that bought Hilary ads? Or Trump ads? Just curious. From an outsider in Canada, I hear it was about a 50/50 spit, and it's been going on for many years.
Actually, it was both, because it turns out the Russians want to engender divisiveness and the best way to do it is to play both sides. Think of it - if you're a leftie and see a some obvious "fake news" coming from a right wing website, you will go "I knew these right wing guys are all lying bastards", and the same thing will happen if you're right wing and see some obvious left wing "fake news"... And as long as we're all busy fighting amongst ourselves, we won't pay attention to what Russia is actually doing...
Last I checked to only hacking the Russians did was against Hillary and the democrats. You shouldn't try to both sides every issue out there when it just isn't true. The Mueller report shows that the Trump campaign eagerly accepted Russian help and that the ads you speak of were anti Hillary. Quit spreading false information.
probably from both, remember Russia just wanted to cause chaos and confusion in the US, it's why they placed both sides and now it turns out manipulated the fake information that initiate the whole muller investigation (which did turn out other shady stuff about trumps people, but not collusion). Russia lost the cold war, knows they cant financially match the US, so they are using the one weapon they have left that they can use without starting ww3
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Politicians convince women that abortion isn't murder by telling them that those fetuses are just a cluster of Russian cells. Wait....what!?!
If it weren't for the danger to children - both theirs and others - I'd be tempted to say "Fine, let them refuse for themselves. The population needs the stupid ones culled."
Sad thing is most of them were vaccinated by their own parents.
It’s not just a danger to children. My companion just had an immune-system-destroying cancer treatment that made her very vulnerable to the shit against which we used to be nationally immunized. We’re in our 40s. Anti-Vaxxers are a threat to the public health globally.
True enough. While waiting for my flu shot back in the fall I got to talking to an older woman who remembered the pools shutting down every summer when polio epidemics were rampant. When her generation is gone, who will remember what it was like before vaccines were available?
Potter, I'm resistant to support mandatory vaccines wholesale. To attend school, daycares, community centers, Disneyland I would support mandatory vaccines but not prison or fines, etc. BUT...I could be convinced if the rates of death and perm injury increase significantly. But I think when people start dropping around them they will get vaccinated and vaccinate their children. That's what happened back in the day. People lined up to get vaccines when they saw the results for themselves. The town 10 miles down did not have sick people after a vaccine was introduced. They signed up too.
This is like that tumblr post “The moon landing was fake!” “Pfft, you believe in the moon?”
Actually there is some evidence the Russia did engage in antivax posts from the same FB accounts they used to influence the 2016 election.
Tracey, was it the same FB accounts that bought Hilary ads? Or Trump ads? Just curious. From an outsider in Canada, I hear it was about a 50/50 spit, and it's been going on for many years.
Actually, it was both, because it turns out the Russians want to engender divisiveness and the best way to do it is to play both sides. Think of it - if you're a leftie and see a some obvious "fake news" coming from a right wing website, you will go "I knew these right wing guys are all lying bastards", and the same thing will happen if you're right wing and see some obvious left wing "fake news"... And as long as we're all busy fighting amongst ourselves, we won't pay attention to what Russia is actually doing...
Last I checked to only hacking the Russians did was against Hillary and the democrats. You shouldn't try to both sides every issue out there when it just isn't true. The Mueller report shows that the Trump campaign eagerly accepted Russian help and that the ads you speak of were anti Hillary. Quit spreading false information.
probably from both, remember Russia just wanted to cause chaos and confusion in the US, it's why they placed both sides and now it turns out manipulated the fake information that initiate the whole muller investigation (which did turn out other shady stuff about trumps people, but not collusion). Russia lost the cold war, knows they cant financially match the US, so they are using the one weapon they have left that they can use without starting ww3
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Politicians convince women that abortion isn't murder by telling them that those fetuses are just a cluster of Russian cells. Wait....what!?!
If it weren't for the danger to children - both theirs and others - I'd be tempted to say "Fine, let them refuse for themselves. The population needs the stupid ones culled."
Sad thing is most of them were vaccinated by their own parents.
It’s not just a danger to children. My companion just had an immune-system-destroying cancer treatment that made her very vulnerable to the shit against which we used to be nationally immunized. We’re in our 40s. Anti-Vaxxers are a threat to the public health globally.
True enough. While waiting for my flu shot back in the fall I got to talking to an older woman who remembered the pools shutting down every summer when polio epidemics were rampant. When her generation is gone, who will remember what it was like before vaccines were available?
Potter, I'm resistant to support mandatory vaccines wholesale. To attend school, daycares, community centers, Disneyland I would support mandatory vaccines but not prison or fines, etc. BUT...I could be convinced if the rates of death and perm injury increase significantly. But I think when people start dropping around them they will get vaccinated and vaccinate their children. That's what happened back in the day. People lined up to get vaccines when they saw the results for themselves. The town 10 miles down did not have sick people after a vaccine was introduced. They signed up too.
This is like that tumblr post “The moon landing was fake!” “Pfft, you believe in the moon?”