Anti-vax Amidst a Global Pandemic
The invention of vaccines as a preventative for viral infections is one of the most renowned and well known innovations in modern medicine. Vaccines have proved to be an effective preventative treatment for many of the viral pandemics in the modern era. Vaccines have nearly eradicated diseases such as smallpox, polio, and measles that while rampant were responsible for millions of deaths around the world (WHO). Despite the positive appearance of vaccines, the anti-vax community opposes the use of vaccinations as a medical tool to control the spread of infectious diseases. The anti-vax community plays a major role in the debate about the safety and validity of vaccinations, most recently the debate has been focused on the vaccines used to prevent the coronavirus pandemic. As support for anti-vax communities increases, the decreasing number of vaccinated individuals continues to add to the vulnerability of the communities involved and without change, will lead to the spread of many fatal infectious viruses.
Origins of the Anti-vax Movement
Beginning in the early 19th century, the development of vaccines was a new concept to the medical community. The first experimental observation of the vaccine concept is credited to Edward Jenner, “in 1796 when the English doctor Edward Jenner noticed that milkmaids who had gotten cowpox were protected from smallpox” (CDC). Jenner noticed the possibility for individuals to be immune to viruses and realized the medical potential of his observations. By the 1800s Jenner’s observations and research into early forms of vaccination were published with the intention of possibly eradicating the smallpox disease which killed 3 of every 10 infected people (CDC). The limited supporting evidence and gruesome method for administering the early vaccine sparked pushback from both the scientific community and the public. Although it appeared as though the vaccine worked to prevent the contraction of smallpox, anti-vax sentiments arose focused on the concerns regarding the potential for unknown side effects and how well the early vaccinations were at preventing the spread of smallpox.
By the mid 19th century, as research surrounding vaccines continued, countries such as the United Kingdom and Netherlands began to make vaccines mandatory for most at-risk individuals. After observing the limited side effects and high effectiveness of the smallpox vaccine for decades, the United Kingdom made the vaccine mandatory for anyone younger than 14. “The Vaccination Act of 1853 ordered mandatory vaccination for infants up to 3 months old, and the Act of 1867 extended this age requirement to 14 years” (History). The enforcement of mandatory vaccination in the U.K. was met with harsh criticism and protest. Anti-vax organizations popularized as a result of the mandate, establishing the first anti-vax groups in the world. Toward the end of the 19th century, the Dutch government established their own laws on vaccinations. “When the Dutch government reacted to an 1871 epidemic by requiring that all school children be vaccinated there was widespread objection” (Blume). Anti-vax associations and groups became popularized by the compulsory vaccinations, often sparking public backlash toward their loss of liberty. Many of the same themes from the first anti-vax groups persist in the anti-vax argument today, often surrounding the deprivation of choice. It must be noted that as the graph below depicts, the vaccines correlate strongly with the decrease in smallpox cases across the world (EPI). With the anti-vax sentiment growing in Europe, it did not take long for anti-vax groups to appear and grow in the United States.
Anti-vax Then vs. Now
Life in the 21st century varies starkly to the experiences of the 19th century but the conceptual understanding of vaccines remains stagnant. The value of vaccines has persisted into the 21st century, with the Covid-19 vaccines being the light at the end of the 2019-2020 epidemic. Although the anti-vax community has changed drastically since the 19th century in terms of its methods and sources, many of the goals from the early forms of anti-vax groups can be seen in modern organizations as well. “British working class protest must be seen principally as resistance to the growth of state ‘disciplining’ of the body” (Durbach). Protest regarding the state mandating a medical procedure is a common theme for anti-vax groups to focus on. Arguing the negative impacts of vaccines is a difficult uphill battle, but winning public opinion through exposing the loss of individual liberty involved with mandatory vaccinations is an objectively basic concept and often a powerful source of protest in any community. While concepts about vaccines remain consistent, some variation has occurred between the early organizations and modern anti-vax groups.
Some differences present themselves between the early anti-vax leagues and the organizations viewed in the 21st century. The initial intent of the anti-vax groups was to raise medical concerns about a new medical innovation and inspire more research into the matter (History). As the organizations became more popular and research into vaccines supported their effectiveness, the anti-vax organizations shifted from necessary groups focused on community safety to liberal reformers engaged in social discourse. With continued enforcement of mandatory vaccines, the anti-vax movement continued to gain support each time a pandemic or epidemic presented itself. Looking at anti-vax sentiment in the 21st century, vaccines have proved their effectiveness and the debate about vaccines remains a social dilemma hosting arguments between scientific research and conspiracy based misconceptions. As the Covid-19 pandemic comes to a close with the development of an effective vaccine, the debate about vaccines has reached public spotlight outlining the continued confounding theories, spreading unwarranted suspicion toward the vaccine.
Modern Anti-vax Misconceptions
Religion
The anti-vax movement in the age of social media may appear to be a diluted mix of opinionated statements and false evidence but some questions about vaccines nurture thorough concerns and possible issues. It should be noted that although most of the misconceptions are foundationally based on viable concerns, the evidence used is often incomplete or unofficial, creating support for a theoretical conspiracy unsupported by scientific research or knowledge. Since the separation of church and state in most of Western Europe and North America, political legislature has found some opposition from religious institutions with regards to what can be enforced and who must be exempt. “Objections to vaccination out of religious conviction had to be respected, according to [anti-vax organizations]: a view that was finally accepted, with exemption allowed on religious grounds, in the early years of the 20th century” (Blume). There has been increased conflict between some religious sects and modern medicine as vaccines are mandated. Until a less invasive procedure can be performed to prevent or treat viral infections, the choice of the individual to not be vaccinated on religious grounds must be accepted. Although religion is practiced around the world, it is not often the only cause for individuals to refuse vaccination and protest its enforcement.
Natural Immunity
For some anti-vax supporters, the injection of a vaccine is viewed as an invasion of the body and its natural immunity process. A common message of the anti-vax community is that by taking a vaccine to prevent the contraction of a virus makes the recipient weaker than if they just face the virus in full. John Hopkins epidemiologist, Rupali Limaye, stated, “We have heard from those that are concerned about vaccines the argument that they prefer to allow their immune system to be naturally exposed to a specific pathogen to gain immunity” (Butler). The theory of natural immunity is not an incorrect philosophy but it is important to recognize that it is dangerous and an under-studied concept that should not be used in response to a new virus with unknown side effects. If natural immunity was an effective strategy for coronavirus rsistacnce, millions of people around the world would not have died and there would not be a global pandemic.
Safety and Vaccine Contents
Concerns regarding the safety and contents of vaccines proposed by anti-vax communities have important implications that ask important questions but can become extreme and detract from the importance of the conversation when based on conspiracy. An example of false safety concerns regarding vaccines is the article published by Andrew Wakefield and his fellow colleagues that expressed a correlation between the MMR vaccine and autism (Wakefield). Misinformation presented with a scientific approach such as the data provided by Wakefield holds dangerous implications for the debate about vaccinations. Further scientific research has exposed Wakefield’s claims about the relationship between autism and vaccines, as false and an incomplete non-scientific study grounded on observations of simple correlations between two non-variable groups. In short, it is simply a coincidence that autism appears in infants around the same time the MMR vaccine is administered. A more recent concern has arisen regarding the use of metals or inclusion of a microchip in the Covid-19 vaccine that has quickly become a near-mandatory procedure for Americans and citizens from other countries (Carmichael). The microchip conspiracy exemplifies the fear tactics that anti-vax activists are currently using to make people sceptical about vaccinations and gain more support for the anti-vax movement. The evidence refuting the inclusion of microchips in the Covid-19 vaccine is abundant with simple logic. For example, the syringes used for the vaccine are too narrow at the tip to expend the smallest man-made microchip, and even if it was possible, creating and distributing hundreds of millions of tiny microchips would be grotesque in cost. The continued mistrust of believing personal opinion over fact is a trademark of the modern anti-vax culture leading to the further spread of misinformation and false ideas.
Video 1: BBC Magnets in Covid-19 Vaccine
Video 2: Kimmel Covid Message from Doctor’s
Conclusion
The meaning of the term anti-vax has changed since its birth in the 19th century to the modern day. What was once a nuanced organized group of associations focused on the health and well-being of the global community involved in the new medical innovation vaccines has become increasingly desperate as new information about the effectiveness and safety of vaccines is released. It would be expected that anti-vax support would shrink as further research into the safety of vaccines becomes available and in some ways it has. The once scientifically curious anti-vax community has been replaced by an anti-science, socio-political group that uses fear and misinformation to grow in popularity. In the age of social media anti-vax groups continue to grow by spreading factless opinionated conspiracies online to a vast audience that is willing to believe claims at face value without approaching any supportive evidence to the claim. If the opposition to anti-vax claims is not intensified by the scientific community, it is likely that future generations will be exposed to more frequent and more intense fatal pandemics.
Works Cited
BBC news, director. No, Your Covid Jab Isn't Magnetic - BBC News. YouTube, YouTube, 22 May 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tY9E2Pmnq8.
Blume, Stuart. “Anti-Vaccination Movements and Their Interpretations.” Social Science & Medicine, Pergamon, 21 July 2005, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953605003047#bib9.
Butler, Kiera. “Anti-Vaxxers Have a Dangerous Theory Called ‘Natural Immunity." Now It's Going Mainstream.” Mother Jones, 12 May 2020, www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/05/anti-vaxxers-have-a-dangerous-theory-called-natural-immunity-now-its-going-mainstream/.
Carmichael, Jack Goodman and Flora. “Coronavirus: Bill Gates 'Microchip' Conspiracy Theory and Other Vaccine Claims Fact-Checked.” BBC News, BBC, 29 May 2020, www.bbc.com/news/52847648.
CDC. “History of Smallpox.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20 Feb. 2021, www.cdc.gov/smallpox/history/history.html.
“Data.” Data Highlights - 19: Two Stories of Disease: Smallpox and Polio | EPI, www.earth-policy.org/data_highlights/2011/highlights19.
DURBACH, N. “'They Might As Well Brand Us': Working-Class Resistance to Compulsory Vaccination in Victorian England.” Social History of Medicine, vol. 13, no. 1, 2000, pp. 45–63., doi:10.1093/shm/13.1.45.
“Global Smallpox Cases, 1920-2010.” Earth Policy Institute, 15 Sept. 2011, www.earth-policy.org/images/uploads/graphs_tables/highlights19_smallpox.PNG.
“History of Anti-Vaccination Movements.” History of Vaccines, www.historyofvaccines.org/index.php/content/articles/history-anti-vaccination-movements.
JimmyKimmelLive, director. A Message for People Who Don't Want the COVID Vaccine. YouTube, YouTube, 5 May 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0sg9G5BBVU.
Wakefield, Andrew J. “MMR Vaccination and Autism.” The Lancet, vol. 354, no. 9182, 11 Sept. 1999, pp. 949–950., doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(05)75696-8.
WHO. “Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 2021, www.who.int/teams/immunization-vaccines-and-biologicals/diseases.