The film: Vaxxed.

[macawake, MSN]

At first I wasn't going to write this post since I believe that a film that appears to be (at least in part) based on thoroughly discredited, fear-mongering nonsense should get as little attention as possible.

Then after browsing several anti-vaccine and conspiracist websites I found as I suspected, that this has already exploded and whatever I write here won't make matters any worse.

The film 'Vaxxed' is directed by Mr Andrew Wakefield, a former physician who lost his medical license after research that he had authored, was found fraudulent (containing as I understand it, both methodological and ethical flaws).

Vaxxed: Tribeca festival withdraws MMR film - BBC News

Just watching the trailer for this film elevated my BP into dangerous territory. How is it that this man keeps promoting the same debunked data to this day? Hasn't it caused enough harm already?

Vaxxed From Cover Up to Catastrophe TRAILER - YouTube

It seems that anti-vaccine proponents span the entire spectrum from sadly misinformed to clearly unhinged. However, no matter what their individual motivation happens to be, they are in my opinion dangerous. We have fought a hard battle against diseases that today are vaccine-preventable. Millions of children have died in the past and some still do, to this day. We don't see much of it in first-world countries due to the success of vaccines. Anti-vaccine proponents seem to believe that the "olden days" were better. I think it's deeply worrisome.

In my escapades around the internet, I've found all sorts of scary blogs, clips and opinions relating to childhood vaccines.

This YouTube clip rather amusingly (in a sad way) has 90 likes and zero (!) dislikes (probably because no rational person would even click on it in the first place). (I'm not sure what this says about me )

Doctors Who Discovered Cancer Enzymes In Vaccines All Found Murdered. - YouTube

Anyway this women thinks that nagalese (an enzyme) is added on purpose to vaccines in order to induce autism, cancer and type 2 diabetes in vaccine recipients. And the doctors who discovered this were subsequently murdered to cover this up. This vaccine tampering seems to be a part of some nefarious population control plot.

(It seems that alpha-N-acetylgalactoseaminidase (referred to as nagalese in the YouTube clip) can deglycosylate vitamin D binding protein (DBP) and DBP plays a role in the immune cascade response. So it seems that alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase can interfere with the immune response. While some cancer cells can release alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase, I've found no proof that injecting them into humans induces cancers, never mind autism and DMII. I will however admit that I didn't spend an inordinate amount of time researching her theory).

I admit that this last video is a bit extreme. But this woman and other "anti-vaxxers" have one thing on common. They are willing to accept something as true, even when there is no supporting evidence available.

Serious questions:

* Why are some people so vulnerable/susceptible to flawed logic and poor research?

* What can we as nurses/healthcare professionals do to ensure that our patients base their decisions on sound evidence-based facts or at least have the opportunity to do so? Or should we just reconcile ourselves with the fact that a portion of the population will base their decisions on questionable or outright false information, misconceptions and fear?

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

Conspiracy theorists don't care about science, factual data, or the sad truth that before the advent of vaccines, millions upon millions of people died from infectious disease.

[MedicFireRN]

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.....

Honestly, I am always amazed by how many people are easily misled by this sort of thing. Even my MIL who is also an RN shares and sends lots of things about conspiracy and vaccinations. The only thing that I can say MAY have merit is underreporting of adverse reactions (Edit to add: I don't think this is a sound reason to be anti-vax but I do think this is one of the only arguments they may have that might have any merit to it). Beyond that, there is not sound evidence to support the anti-vax movement. It seems to be one of those things that conspiracy theorists will easily buy into because -gasp- the government wants people to be vaccinated and it's pushed by the CDC.

Horseshoe hit the nail on the head- Conspiracy theorists don't really care about actual facts. They are happy to share things from "Truthkings.com", a website that has headers like "Fluoridation" "Weather Wars" and "Doctors are the Problem". Of course, one of their headline stories is titled "BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: The Connection To Big Pharma and #Vaxxed Being Pulled Revealed". Shocker! (not)

[Farawyn]

Great topic. Scary. Following.

[cracklingkraken, ASN, RN]

Great topic. Scary. Following.

Also following. These kind of topics seem to draw a weird crowd, though...

[Extra Pickles]

All we can do is educate, provide the real facts and the real data and direct them to valid websites. People who would rather believe the nutcase brigade seem to me to be the people most likely to not have the cognitive ability to tell the difference between factual science and nonsense. I think too that sometimes they feel smarter if they are part of the group that is In The Know, that they believe that by being the minority speaking out against Big Pharma and whatever absurdity they think up that this imbues them with a mantle of academia and intelligence that they don't have and can't get any legitimate way. They believe they are smarter than all the Lemmings who follow without asking The Hard Questions. That's what they think lol anyway!

[macawake, MSN]

These kind of topics seem to draw a weird crowd, though...

True. They seldom seem to be swayed by logic and facts either.

I have little control over how this thread evolves, but I hope it can be in part at least about how we can reach our patients with scientific facts and perhaps in some way, act as a counterweight to all the falsehoods spread on the internet. My primary aim are people who are still 'on the fence' and who are open to listening to factual information/science.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

I've been following the story over the weekend. Now Wakefield is calling "censorship!".

B.S.

And yes, the anti-vaxxers are crazy.

[Nurse Leigh]

Yeah, gotta love the "Vaccines are evil! Do not believe the vast amount of data suggesting otherwise. And while you're here, why don't you browse my selection of essential oils? They cure everything! What? Evidence?"

[dishes, BSN, RN]

I feel for parents whose child is diagnosed with autism, it must be confusing and very upsetting to hear this diagnosis. I wonder if when they are grasping for understanding, if it is easier for some parents to believe that their child's autism is related to vaccines, rather than their own advanced paternal/maternal age.

[Extra Pickles]

True. They seldom seem to be swayed by logic and facts either.

I have little control over how this thread evolves, but I hope it can be in part at least about how we can reach our patients with scientific facts and perhaps in some way, act as a counterweight to all the falsehoods spread on the internet. My primary aim are people who are still 'on the fence' and who are open to listening to factual information/science.

I'm totally with you here! I have to talk to patients all the time about their medications and that includes vaccinations. best I can think to do is just give them the real hard facts on legitimate research and legitimate reputable studies. all I can do is give them the knowledge and if they don't want to face it there's not much more I can do. if someone tells me that she never gets the flu shot anymore because the two times she did it she got sick I then ask if she was swabbed for positive flu. the answer is always No, I just know I was sick. then ask her if she's never ever ever been sick since she no longer takes the flu shot and of course it's a Yes, Sometimes, in which case I can point out that the absence of the shot obviously didn't make her sick either! teaching is all we can do.

[Extra Pickles]

I feel for parents whose child is diagnosed with autism, it must be confusing and very upseting to hear this diagnosis. I wonder if when they are grasping for understanding, if it is easier for some parents to believe that their child's autism is related to vaccines, rather than their own advanced paternal/maternal age.

or that they have an autistic child that has nothing whatsoever at all to do with their own ages.