Many websites that promote unscientific views about vaccinations use
pseudoscience and misinformation to spread the idea that vaccines are
dangerous, according to a new study.
For example, of the nearly 500 anti-vaccination websites examined in
the study, nearly two-thirds claimed that vaccines cause autism, the
researchers found. However, multiple studies have shown that there is no link between vaccines and autism.
About two-thirds of the websites used information that they
represented as scientific evidence, but in fact was not, to support
their claims that vaccines are dangerous, and about one-third used
people's anecdotes to reinforce those claims, the scientists found.
Some websites also cited actual peer-reviewed studies as their
sources of information, but they misinterpreted and misrepresented the
findings of these studies.
"So the science itself was strong, but the way it was being
interpreted was not very accurate," said study author Meghan Moran, an
associate professor in Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School's
Department of Health, Behavior and Society. "It was being distorted to
support an anti-vaccine agenda." [5 Dangerous Vaccination Myths][...]
The biggest takeaway from the findings is that researchers and health
officials "need to communicate to the vaccine-hesitant parent in a way
that resonates with them and is sensitive to their concerns," Moran said
in a statement. "In our review, we saw communication for things we
consider healthy, such as breast-feeding, eating organic, the types of
behavior public health officials want to encourage. I think we can
leverage these good things and reframe our communication in a way that
makes sense to those parents resisting vaccines for their children."[...]
Once upon a time a teacher of mine asked me what the difference was between Orthodox, Conservative and Reform. I replied: Physician, Naturopath, Homeopath.
ReplyDeleteVery good!
ReplyDeleteI do not understand why there is such a forceful opposition to those that wish to abstain from the less important vaccines, such as chicken pox and flu. From what I have gathered , there are some clear benefits to not being vaccinated against the pox, and the risks of not vaccinating are not as severe.
ReplyDeleteNot unless someone pregnant or old gets it. Do you want that responsibility because on a whim you decided you couldn't be bothered to be vaccinated?
ReplyDeleteAnd what benefits are there exactly? Helping spread illness is not really a benefit.