FLYER Forums

Flyin'Dutch' wrote:..

It is this week 270 years since Jenner, the inventor of the small pox vaccine, was born....

[.. the Gloucestershire aviation pioneer, as mentioned here occasionally </drift > ]

Social media make it unfortunately easy for a few to peddle and for many to believe and to peddle further the idea that the only reason why anyone is recommending something with a non-zero risk (however small) must be with malign intent, in league with shadowly malign forces like 'big pharma' or 'elitist government'or <perceived conspiracy of choice>

And I do remember living but significantly harmed victims of polio, some my age who were affected young, and rather more not much older.

... and now the UK has lost its "measles free" status.

https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk ... n-england/

Given that a safe vaccine is available, why do people believe charlatans and scale oil merchants over experts?

Personally, I think kids should have proof of vaccination to be allowed into schools.

And then prosecute the parents who's kids are missing school under the existing legislation available.

I have absolutely zero tolerance for this nonsense.

The Instagram anti vac brigade should be shown a few videos of post measles encephalitis child victims.

Might change their views

It’s not too late if the government pushes its catch up vaccination programme for 10-12 year olds

Peter

PeteSpencer wrote:The Instagram anti vac brigade should be shown a few videos of post measles encephalitis child victims.

Might change their views

Probably won't because they will already be aware that those pictures are faked and that mercury is the real poison.

How do we stop the online spread of unintended and just downright malicious fake information on the internet?

stevelup wrote:Personally, I think kids should have proof of vaccination to be allowed into schools.

And then prosecute the parents who's kids are missing school under the existing legislation available.

I have absolutely zero tolerance for this nonsense.

Personally, I find it difficult to reconcile denying people an education in order to make them more educated.

Some other method is needed.

It's not denying the parents an education... but I agree there needs to be a better way.... but what is it?

Not sure that a strategy (even a Boris strategy) will be enough.

@PaulB I dunno Paul. It's one of the very few areas where I might be convinced that state compulsion (ie mandatory vaccination) is necessary*. It's a discussion worth having at large to hear the arguments for and against.


* just like education

You can't do a po-faced science based campaign. Brexit and Trump have proved that that is not what changes opinion. You have to go for emotions.

I'm a firm believer in ridicule. Every school should have a large display board at the gates, with pictures of any anti-vax parents. "Putting local children at risk" could be the banner.

Of course, it'll be a little embarrassing if in 50 years time it turns out vaccines ARE harmful (my Dad was told in 1950 he needed to start smoking, as this would sterilise the noxious Glaswegian air he was breathing...) but I'll be long dead by then.

matthew_w100 wrote: "Putting local children at risk" could be the banner.

The thing is, these parents know that and just don't care. They are utterly selfish and self deluded. They don't give a monkeys about anyone else's kids or the wider community. Deriding them makes them feel stronger that they must be in the right.

Now, if your campaign said "Vaccinated kids get to sit at the front of the bus" or some other meaningless benefit that meant their kids were front of the imaginary queue then it may have an impact.

JoeC wrote:
The thing is, these parents know that and just don't care. They are utterly selfish and self deluded. They don't give a monkeys about anyone else's kids or the wider community. Deriding them makes them feel stronger that they must be in the right.

Now, if your campaign said "Vaccinated kids get to sit at the front of the bus" or some other meaningless benefit that meant their kids were front of the imaginary queue then it may have an impact.

Then the parents of the unvaccinated kids would claim that such prejudice is causing their little darlings to have low self esteem and anxiety. We need to make not having your kids vaccinated as socially unacceptable as smoking and drink driving.

Bill McCarthy wrote:When I was a child, anyone in the vicinity who got an infection such as measles or mumps, we were rounded up and all thrown in together in order to “ get it” .

I'm glad you brought that up. I was beginning to think my Mother was a serial killer.

That's the thing about science.... sometimes it's found to be wrong and has the ability to change over time.

PaulB wrote:That's the thing about science.... sometimes it's found to be wrong and has the ability to change over time.

I think there is a distrust of government/medical/scientififc advice by the general public, as a result of advice being radically changed when the scientific community does a 180.

romille wrote:

PaulB wrote:That's the thing about science.... sometimes it's found to be wrong and has the ability to change over time.

I think there is a distrust of government/medical/scientififc advice by the general public, as a result of advice being radically changed when the scientific community does a 180.

Is that as much to do with poor (p!s$ poor in some cases) presentation of the data and reporting initial findings as fact by the media as it is with the science changing?