So we all know that unfortunately, the world is now split between those who vaccinate and those who do not. We also know what caused this. A falsified study with “conclusions” that CANNOT be reproduced linking autism with vaccines has spread panic throughout the world. Parents, who were most likely vaccinated by the choice of their parents, are now questioning whether to or not vaccinate their children. Now let’s think about that, a most likely vaccinated person is deciding whether a child who can’t necessarily decide for themselves should get the vaccine they have or not. Now, I know the flu is a yearly vaccine that these parents can actively choose whether they are vaccinated or not. But there are multiple vaccines that are given to infants, meaning the children can not necessarily choose for themselves if they get it or not. Because of this movement, there has been an annoying resurge of diseases that we had almost completely eradicated from this earth. And although there are MULTIPLE studies proving the effectiveness of vaccines and undermining the ONE study that “linked” vaccines and autism, we still have people believing the one study instead of the majority. Although we don’t hear about it AS much in the news as we used to those groups of those who don’t believe in vaccinating are still very much alive.
Please, listen to your doctors.
According to an article from NBC News, a child of an Anti-vaxxer mom has now became one of the thousands of children that have passed away from the flu this year. This mother, has four children all of which I’m pretty they said she did not vaccinate for the flu. Which is scary because, will the vaccine completely prevent the flu? No. But does it lessen the severity and symptoms increasing a child’s chance of surviving? YES. This mother’s four year old began showing signs and symptoms of the flu by obtaining a fever and even having a seizure. Although he had not been tested for the flu it’s important to note that two of her other children had already tested positive for the flu. Their doctor went ahead and prescribed Tamiflu for everyone in the household. Tamiflu is one of the main anti-virals given out to help lessen the symptoms and duration of the flu. The mother did not go and fill this prescription. Instead of turning to the pharmacy, she turned to her main source of medical advice…Facebook. I know, I know I started shaking my head too when I read that. But yes, she was a part of a Anti-Vaxxer group on Facebook which has over 150,000 members. She posted within the group asking for advice on what to give her children as she listed out all of the home remedies she’s already tried. Tons of comments and “recommendations” were received. But unfortunately, it was not enough as the child ended up being hospitalized and passed away. Because of this group spreading misinformation on treating the Flu, to mind you this was mostly not a group full of doctors (or at least one would assume), a child has died because she chose the group with the misinformation over the doctor’s advice of receiving a drug that has had many studies done showing that it is effective. It just makes me sad reading this, especially because like some people have become so attached to social media that now people are deciding medical decisions from Facebook instead of listening to their doctors. So like they are actively choosing to believe in misinformation with the treatment of the flu and not only that, but the vaccine. If the child would have been vaccinated, the flu would have had much less of a severity giving the child a much better chance at survival.
Anti-vaxxer groups still surging
Because of instances like the one described above, Facebook has tried to crack down on the spread of misinformation of treatments and vaccinations. But to no surprise it has not stopped the Anti-vaxxers from still joining forces to campaign. During this campaign, they are still raising thousands of dollars. According to another NBC article, groups of such are raising thousands of dollars online through Facebook with the goal to line highways, specifically in California, with billboards that contain misinformation about vaccines. Now of course they’re not specifically saying its misinformation as they believe it and want others to. They are going to put children on these billboards who their parent’s claim have been killed from vaccines and will also include the information of the Consent Action Network which is the most funded anti-vaxxer organization. So unfortunately this article just shows how although Facebook says they are trying to crack down on the spread of misinformation there are still groups gaining money through it to spread misinformation in the outside world. Reading all of this has just made me sad because people have dedicated their lives creating these vaccines to save those in the world just to have groups above fight against them and essentially making their work so much harder as almost eradicated diseases are now coming back. So please, I beg of you (as I have done in almost every blog so far) PLEASE listen to the people who have spent YEARS getting their medical degree and know what they are talking about and vaccinate your children. Or at least don’t go to Facebook asking for medical advice, especially after going to the doctors.
Mo's Microbes 