Are anti-vaccine people conspiracy theorists generally?

[Emergent]

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.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

Just because you don't have direct contact with patients doesn't mean you aren't a danger. This is basic epidemiology.

How Flu Spreads | Seasonal Influenza (Flu) | CDC

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.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

I'm lost. What is your point?

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

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

This is the construct related to science and conspiracy theory that we know from the extant data:

1. Conspiracist ideation predicts the rejection of nearly all scientific principles (to varying extent).

2. Conspiracy theories have components of simultaneous belief in mutually contradictory theories, rely on isolated anecdotal accounts or data outliers, and evidence against the theory is often cited as evidence for the theory in that it indicates a larger role for the conspirators.

3. Conspiracists tend to believe in conspiracy because they themselves are more willing to conspire.

We have all witnessed this construct in real time on this thread.

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?

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

Good point.

Yes, I couldn't remember the specifics -- thanks for the link.

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.

[klone, MSN, RN]

It's interesting that public health is not at stake apparently when it comes to HIV or even full-blown AIDS.

WTF are you talking about.

? You throw out so many random non sequiturs it's hard to keep up.

So humor me. What does HIV have to do with it? There is currently no HIV vaccine, so I fail to understand your parallel.

[heron, ASN, RN]

WTF are you talking about.

? You throw out so many random non sequiturs it's hard to keep up.

So humor me. What does HIV have to do with it? There is currently no HIV vaccine, so I fail to understand your parallel.

It's apparently a reference to the supposed "special priveleges" enjoyed by lgbt folk. That poster may "remember" those days, but not very accurately. I suspect he's referring to the legislation and policies required to protect confidentiality and civil rights of people with AIDS or HIV.

Not only do I remember those days but I worked directly with men and women affected by the epidemic from the mid-eighties through the end of the century and you're correct, nothing to do with the current discussion.

The politics of the HIV epidemic are a whole ‘nother bunch of threads.

[Guest219794]

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?

Yet again Kooky- I really can not tell if you are shooting for irony, or what.

I sometimes wonder how people pick a name for this forum. I am not wondering that now.

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

We work to create the reality we want to see in our society. We don't just accept the current status quo if it is not acceptable to us. Ever hear of revolutions?

Teenage pregnancy rates are at all time low for the last 30+ years. This is due to in part to comprehensive sex education and not sticking ou collective heads in the sand while dealing with the realities of society that have always been there and not ignoring these realities in favor of what some people think the culture should be.

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

There was definitely no quarantine or other public health measure in the beginning. I lived through that time so don't even think of telling me there were. This known killer disease was so politicized that normal public health measures were suspended in dealing with it.

Why would you ostracize someone with HIV or AIDS? Why would they need to be quarantined, which I never suggested they should be. People with HIV have been prosecuted for knowingly spreading HIV, but in general it is relatively difficult outside of intercourse or sharing needles to get HIV unlike the flu, MMR, TB etc.

Public health measures actually evolved rather quickly with our understanding of HIV. The Practice of Public Health - The Social Impact Of AIDS In The United States - NCBI Bookshelf

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

cop out

Yep, out of reality.

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

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.

This is a ridiculous argument, and just basic epidemiology. This an airborne disease. You can infect easily anyone within 6 feet. That means you can infect family members of patients while moving around the hospital, direct caregivers, custodial staff etc who all then can now infect the patients. The flu vaccine overall effectiveness averages around 50%. That isn't great, but still a 50% reduction is still good enough to prevent thousands of deaths and billions of wasted healthcare dollars if everyone was vaccinated.

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

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

I wont trouble myself because you obviously have no clue what you are talking about.