Are anti-vaccine people conspiracy theorists generally?

Nurses General Nursing

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I have an old friend from years ago who I now keep in touch with on Facebook. Her posts are fascinating in the amazing variety of conspiracy theories, some outrageous, some maybe partially true. She's a big believer that cannabis oil will cure just about anything and that information of course is being suppressed by the drug companies and the government.

She blames many, if not all, health problems on vaccines. She also subscribes to some disturbing anti-Semitic ideologies, blaming the network of high powered Jews, led by the evil Rothschild family.

I swear, the internet has turned slightly eccentric people into extremists. 30 years ago this woman was into macrobiotics, native Americans, and New Age philosophies.

Specializes in Anesthesia.
Conspiracists are more willing to conspire? Provide a legitimate source for this opinion, please?

Conspiracists reject nearly all scientific principles to varying extent? Wow again. No source cited.

Larger role? What does that mean? Conspiracists want fame? Or what?

I have already provided several links to studies about antivaxxers and conspiracy theorists. What legitimate sources have you provided?

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
The trouble isn't just with diseases being brought in by immigrants. These viruses are kept alive at CDC, Plum Island, maybe other locations. A good hurricane hitting Plum, for instance, can likely bring them out into the open. Military research about biological research is an issue, too.

1. No, illegal immigrants are rarely a problem with vaccination rates. False Narrative on Measles Outbreak - FactCheck.org. Statistics | At a glance: Mexico | UNICEF Legal immigrants have to show proof of being fully vaccinated prior to immigrating. The recent outbreak of measles at Disneyland was caused from European visitors being inadequately/not vaccinated. It had nothing to do with immigrants.

2. It is highly unlikely that any natural castophe would ever release biological pathogens due to the safeguards set in place. The military does not produce biological agents for war. That was outlawed in the 1970s.

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
Conspiracists are more willing to conspire? Provide a legitimate source for this opinion, please?

Douglas, K. M., & Sutton, R. M. (2011). Does it take one to know one? Endorsement of conspiracy theories is influenced by personal willingness to conspire. British Journal of Social Psychology, 50(3), 544-552.

Conspiracists reject nearly all scientific principles to varying extent? Wow again. No source cited.

Lewandowsky, S., Gignac, G. E., & Oberauer, K. (2013). The role of conspiracist ideation and worldviews in predicting rejection of science. PloS one, 8(10), e75637.

Larger role? What does that mean? Conspiracists want fame? Or what?

It means to describe the ridiculous argument that conspiracists use that large the bodies of evidence against a theory is direct evidence that there must be a conspiracy.

Why do you now cite some sources?

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
This whole argument has been that caregivers need the flu vaccine so they don't infect their patients.

If a worker is nowhere near patients they will not be infecting patients. Same with workers in areas other than health care.

Furthermore, the effectiveness of flu shots is quite low.

Again, as other have said, basic epidemiology. Influenza has a rather low R0 ranging from 1 to 9 based on the potency of the year's strain. With a conservative vaccine effectiveness of 60% and using R0 of 2 this means that the herd immunity threshold is 0.5 and the required vaccine coverage is 83% to prevent pandemic spread. This is very simple math.

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Specializes in CVICU, MICU, Burn ICU.
Have we seen any conspiracists that are on the pro-vaccine side yet?

Oh Boston. Conspiracy Theory is just a subcategory of Paranoia. We've certainly seen some paranoia (with a touch of drama) from the pro vaccine side, for example...

"Antiscience will be the undoing of the world" (cue scary music).

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
Oh Boston. Conspiracy Theory is just a subcategory of Paranoia. We've certainly seen some paranoia (with a touch of drama) from the pro vaccine side, for example...

"Antiscience will be the undoing of the world" (cue scary music).

Cite your sources.

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Specializes in CVICU, MICU, Burn ICU.
The trouble isn't just with diseases being brought in by immigrants. These viruses are kept alive at CDC, Plum Island, maybe other locations. A good hurricane hitting Plum, for instance, can likely bring them out into the open. Military research about biological research is an issue, too.

What?

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Specializes in CVICU, MICU, Burn ICU.
Cite your sources.

Sorry wbtCRNA said it. ;)

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cop out

Not wanting to repeat herself because you were too lazy to read the evidence she already provided is not a cop out.

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You're lost? It's alright, don't trouble yourself.

She was lost because what you said made absolutely zero sense.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
She was lost because what you said made absolutely zero sense.

If you are referring to me I'm the xy type of nurse not the xx type.

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