Vaccines: What if everyone stopped getting vaccinated?
To me, this is one of the scariest questions we could possibly ask. We know the answer too, and we don’t have to go back 20 or 30 years to find it. It’s happening right now. I’m sure you’ve heard of the horrifying measles outbreak in Samoa that still rages on. That’s what happens when antivax wishes come true.
So how did this happen? And how can we stop it from happening again?
What is measles?
Just in case you don’t really know what the measles virus is and what it does, here’s a bit of a primer.
According to the World Health Organisation,
“Measles is caused by a virus in the paramyxovirus family and it is normally passed through direct contact and through the air. The virus infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body. Measles is a human disease and is not known to occur in animals.”
It grows inside you for about 10 to 12 days before you feel the symptoms, which are a cough, runny nose, red eyes and small white spots inside your cheeks. Then the rash comes after about 3 days.”
A tiny percentage of people die from the measles, but most of them tend to be either children younger than 5 years of age or people over 30. And there can be other complications too. Again from WHO:
“Most measles-related deaths are caused by complications associated with the disease. Serious complications are more common in children under the age of 5, or adults over the age of 30. The most serious complications include blindness, encephalitis (an infection that causes brain swelling), severe diarrhoea and related dehydration, ear infections, or severe respiratory infections such as pneumonia. Severe measles is more likely among poorly nourished young children, especially those with insufficient vitamin A, or whose immune systems have been weakened by HIV/AIDS or other diseases.”
How did the outbreak happen?
The vaccination rate in Samoa dropped drastically to 31% after a horrific incident last year. Two infants died after nurses injected them with the MMR vaccine mixed with expired muscle relaxant instead of saline solution. The outrage was justified and widespread. No shit! I hope those nurses get blacklisted and thrown in jail, if possible. (Correction: they have been) That’s criminal negligence at its worst.
This led to people distrusting vaccines on a massive scale. Celebrity anti-vaxxers like Del Bigtree and Robert F Kennedy Jr grabbed this incident as an opportunity to spread their bullshit. They blamed the vaccines instead of the nurses. Parents who were already outraged and scared for their children’s lives listened and started becoming hesitant towards vaccines. Vaccinations came to a grinding halt, making the whole population vulnerable.
It’s suspected that someone flew into the country with the virus. It then spread through the population like wildfire. According to the Samoan government’s Facebook page, the outbreak led to 5,210 cases as of December 15, 2019. Of the 72 dead, 59 of them are children below the age of 4. I hope the remaining patients recover and go home to their families soon.
Fortunately, the government has taken strict action by mandating every eligible person to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Now, the vaccination rate is 93%, so the epidemic is starting to slow down. The end is in sight.
The role of Anti-vaxxers
Anti-vaccine proponents and influencers are using this horrific tragedy to spread their ideas on social media. There are many claiming the vaccination drive by the Samoan government is the reason people are getting measles, which is, of course, the exact opposite of the truth.
The massive mandatory vaccine drive is the very reason why this epidemic is slowing down.
Fortunately, one of the more vocal Samoan anti-vaxxers, Edwin Tamasese, was arrested. I hope he stays locked up without access to social media for a long time.
The following twitter thread will give you a good idea of the timeline of events from the incident with the two children last year to the present day.
Find the whole thread here: https://twitter.com/drfixus/status/1203478558804529153?s=20
The leading proponents spreading anti-vaccine propaganda in Samoa and to Samoan government have been an American TV producer and author, Del Bigtree, and Robert F Kennedy Jr, a politician. Of course, Twitter and Hollywood are overflowing with people spouting the same nonsense that is killing children.
In an article published on Al Jazeera,
"But Communications Minister Afamasaga Rico Tupai said anti-vaxxers spreading conspiracy theories were hindering the unprecedented public health mobilisation.
"The anti-vaxxers, unfortunately, have been slowing us down," he told TVNZ.
"We've had children who have passed away after coming to the hospital as a last resort, and then we find out the anti-vaccine message has got to their families and that's why they've kept these kids at home," he said.”
Samoa is the victim of arrogant ignorance, conspiracy theories, and the lack of critical thinking promoted by the antivax movement.
Those nurses, with whom all this started, made a mistake. It was a fatal mistake that took two young lives, but it wasn’t intentional.
What these anti-vaxxers, like Robert F Kennedy Jr, are doing, is intentional. They don’t want people to use vaccines because they think vaccines are harmful. Well, it’s now plain to see what the absence of vaccines can do to a nation. Almost 60 children have died; each one could have easily been saved. Can you imagine what their families are going through?
What you can do
We are all feeling so helpless as we see this tragic event unfold. The epidemic may be slowing down, but the country is still struggling for resources and reeling from its effects. One noble Tweeter, Trix, has started a GoFundMe account to raise money to be sent to the Samoan government. Please donate whatever you can to help in this time of crisis. I’ve given already. It’s your turn.
Conclusion
This horrible tragedy is a dark prediction of what can happen to any of our nations if anti-vaccine ideas spread and take hold among its people. I’ve already heard of this propaganda coming into India through social media like WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook. This blows my mind because our country still hasn’t managed to get vaccines to everyone yet and people have already started taking them for granted to such an extent that they believe antivax ideas.
The only way to prevent this from happening again in other countries is to challenge anti-vaccine ideas whenever we see or hear them. It’s tiring at times, and I’m sure you’ll want to lash out at some point, but you must not let it deter you. Talk to them respectfully. You have to understand that insulting them isn’t going to change their minds. No one is willing to listen to your points if you start calling them names. Reasoning with them using good quality evidence is always the best way to go.
If there’s any information you need that you can’t find or have any questions you want to ask about vaccines, please let me know, and I’ll be happy to help.
Keep having these conversations. Every person we talk to matters. Don’t give up or lose yourself to outrage. Children’s lives are at stake.