Is there anything more pathetic than an anti-vaxxer who imagines that she’s knowledgeable?
They’re like automatons, cheerfully repeating nonsense that impressed them. And they’re boring. They all say the same stupid stuff.
Here’s a list of stupid stuff anti-vaxxers say, and what it means to smart, truly educated people who are listening.
1. Do your research!
Anti-vax to English translation: Read the same anti-vax fake news sites I’ve read.
2. There has never been an randomized controlled trial (RCT) of vaccines vs. placebo!
Anti-vax to English translation: I don’t understand that there are many different forms of scientific evidence. While RCTs are the gold standard when it is ethical to use them, there are many other tests of validity when it is not ethical to perform an RCT.
3. I’m not anti-vaccine; I’m pro safe vaccines!
Anti-vax to English translation: I’m an anti-vaxxer.
4. Watch this YouTube video!
Anti-vax to English translation: I know so little about science that I don’t understand that citing YouTube is a mark of gullibility.
5. Here’s link to a scientific paper that shows vaccines are harmful!
Anti-vax to English translation: I never read this paper (nor any other scientific paper) and I have no idea what it shows.
6. It’s a conspiracy!
Anti-vax to English translation: I’m so gullible that I actually imagine that nearly all doctors, research scientists, and public health officials IN THE WORLD, are plotting to harm all children including THEIR OWN.
7. Big Pharma!
Anti-vax to English translation: I don’t understand that vaccines are so unprofitable for pharmaceutical companies that the government must provide special benefits in order to induce the pharmaceutical companies to continue to produce them.
8. Too many vaccines at once are harmful!
Anti-vax to English translation: I don’t realize that a baby is exposed to more antigens in an afternoon at the playground than if he were to received all possible vaccines at once.
9. There are more vaccines than ever AND more cases of autism than ever!
Anti-vax to English translation: I don’t understand that correlation is not causation. The breastfeeding rate has not been this high for nearly a century. By my reasoning breastfeeding causes autism.
10. I’m educated about vaccines
Anti-vax to English translation: I’m an idiot.
The sad fact is that most of what anti-vaxxers think they “know” is factually false and they know so little about immunology, science or statistics that they are profoundly ignorant of their ignorance.
