ANTI-VACCINATION MOVEMENT

ANTI-VAXXERS

challenge U.S. health security

Inoculation, or vaccination practices, first began thousands of years ago, not long after doubters of this health discovery began to emerge. Even as inoculation has evolutionized through myriads of diseases and discovery and grown strong in the presence of modern science and technology, skeptics are hesitant to subscribe to the idea. Anti-vaxxers, or people who do not support vaccination, challenge the needed participation in mass vaccination as Americans continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The origins of distrust

After countless studies and scientific evidence proving the benefits of mass immunization, false theories and articles that illustrate negative effects of vaccinations influence people. Dr. Monique Luisi, who is an assistant professor of strategic communication at the University of Missouri — Columbia School of Journalism and specializes in media messages related to disease, treatments and the lives of minority groups, said though some of this vaccine avoidance is based on theory, it stems from a wide spectrum of reasons.

“Some of it [vaccine opposition] is [theory], like the idea that the government is trying to control people, but the issue is more complex,” Dr. Luisi said. “It’s important to understand that anti-vaxxer attitudes run a spectrum. Some people may feel that all vaccines are unhealthy, while others subscribe to getting only the minimum number they personally feel are required [like measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR)] while avoiding others that are elective [like HPV and influenza].”

Distorted or unavailable information also plays a part in mistrust. Columbia Area Career Center (CACC) BioMed teacher Kristine Hayes said anti-vaxxer sentiments often come from a place of misunderstanding or shared stories.

“Antivax[xer] conspiracy theories have developed over time with fear and lack of information,” Hayes said. “Someone’s child had an adverse reaction or something happened to them shortly after they were vaccinated, so once that correlation is made, [anti-vaxxers] think that applies to all vaccines.”

Fearful parents tend to be at the forefront of this movement. In 1998, British physician Andrew Wakefield published a piece in The Lancet that suggested a connection between the MMR vaccine and the development of autism in children. Despite the retraction of this piece because of findings of flawed and unethical research, the report seemed to set off a resurgence of distrust in vaccination practices, as the MMR vaccination rate dropped from 92% in 1996 to 84% in 2002 in the U.K., according to the National Institutes of Health. This myth spread to North America as well, culminating in a measles outbreak in the United States in 2014, in which around 125 people were infected because of low vaccination rates in people visiting the Disneyland Resort in California. More locally, a mumps outbreak occurred at the University of Missouri — Columbia in 2016.

These myths continue to permeate society. The publishing of information later disproven or rebuked can still have drastic impacts, and Hayes said the disproven claims ultimately affect populations in a negative way.

“Anti-vaccination conspiracy theories affect our ability to get to herd immunity and eradicate an illness,” Hayes said. “The more people in a population that are vaccinated, the less chance we have of someone having a disease and that disease spreading. Groups that do not vaccinate their children intentionally put those people that cannot vaccinate or who have weakened immune systems at risk.”

Anti-vaxxers and social media

The beginning of the internet and the rise of social media platforms that allow typical citizens to organize groups with shared interests and fall to algorithms supporting particular ideologies likely lends

A brief history of vaccine safety and regulation

This act ordered mandatory smallpox vaccination for infants with penalties for refusal. It was met with immediate public criticism surrounding general distrust in medicine, violation of personal liberty and how the vaccine was “unchristian.”

1853 The Vaccination Act of 1853

Founding of the Anti-Vaccination Society of America

1879

Anti-vaccinationists protested against vaccination laws in several states. 13 St. Louis children died from contaminated diphtheria antitoxin, a medication used to treat diphtheria. This led to federal regulation of biologic products.

1901 St. Louis Contamination Event Biologics Control Act

1902

This was the first modern federal legislation to control the quality of drugs. The Act created what eventually became the National Institutes of Health.

to this problem. Junior Emma Howell, a the stories of others, and what results is a new protein that is delivered and develops former BioMed student of Hayes, said she misguided conception that a coincidentally an immune response to it, and unlike other thinks the limited digital media literacy tragic accident is the norm for vaccinated vaccines, a piece of the virus is not injected skills of older generations makes these the- children, Hayes said. Though some peo- into the body. ories attractive. ple’s bodies react poorly to certain vac- Despite the fact that this is the first time

“Because these [anti-vaxxer] parents cines, they are overwhelmingly safe. this practice is being used in regulated vacgrew up in an age before the need for digi- “Our bodies do not read the textbook cines, research surrounding mRNA vactal media literacy, they don’t have the basic that would tell them how they are to react cines dates back to the '90s. Dr. Luisi said skills to tell the difference between articles to certain things, so some people’s bodies the caution surrounding the COVID-19 providing them will overreact or vaccines is, again, because of a plethora of with accurate in- not react at all reasons, but mainly because of the concern formation and when given vac- for the rush. articles written During normal times, that [misinformation] cines,” Hayes “During normal times, that [misinforto mislead and may have been tolerable. During a pandemic, said. “How their mation] may have been tolerable. During a misinform them. however, that kind of misinformation and de- own body reacts, pandemic, however, that kind of misinforAs a result, they nial of scientific fact poses a significant risk to should dictate mation and denial of scientific fact poses fall victim to conspiracy thethe American population." their own personal future vaccine a significant risk to the American population,” Howell said. “This movement may ories,” Howell - Emma Howell, path with consul- also act as a gateway to other conspiracy said. “They have junior tation with their groups, which contributes to the politigood intentions, doctor. But just cal polarization and destabilization of this but they put their because it hap- country, culminating recently in the attacks faith in bad sources.” pened to your neighbor, does not mean it on the Capitol. Overall, I think the nature

Howell blames the spread of these in- will happen to you.” of this movement now poses a significant accuracies on unskilled social media users, Anti-vaxxers and COVID-19 threat to the United States that must not be and Dr. Luisi said this inaccurate informa- Worries have emerged over what some ignored.” tion is able to spread quickly on social me- believe is the accelerated production of Despite the country’s fascination with dia platforms, but most groups or individu- a COVID-19 vaccine. In an NBC article conspiracy theories and celebrity input als are well-intentioned. written by Dr. Lior Brimberg, assistant such as actress Jenny McCarthy who tout-

“While the spread of misinformation professor at the Feinstein Institutes for ed the vaccination-autism theory, Dr. Luisi may be initiated by groups, it continues Medical Research, she dispels the concerns said she thinks this provides an opportunito be spread often by well-meaning, con- and myths circulating, again stating there ty to change the way doctors interact with cerned citizens. Unprofessional groups is no evidence to prove a correlation be- their patients. may be just that — unprofessional — but tween vaccines and autism. She also said “Doctors and health care providers, they may seem credible and believable to the presence of small side effects actually while not often famous, can do a lot of the many,” Dr. Luisi said. “Also, they do not means the vaccine is working. important work to keep the conversations often appear to be anonymous, and many To be aware of the cautions surround- going with patients and the community to groups may have a following.” ing the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna be relatable,” Dr. Luisi said. “Specifically,

Though the people spreading myths COVID-19 vaccines, it’s crucial to first remembering that we are all human, that online may not have bad intentions, it ul- understand the science of these particular we want the best for ourselves and our timately proves harmful, Dr. Luisi said. vaccines, as they are some of the first to use loved ones. Scary things, even if it’s misinPeople take this misinformation seriously messenger RNA (mRNA). mRNA is a ge- formation, make us want to double-check. and it can affect themselves and their im- netic coding material bodies use to create Addressing fears and concerns, and not mediate communities. proteins. The COVID-19 vaccines work shunning, may be key to increasing vacci-

Concerned mothers and fathers cling to because the body is able to recognize the nation acceptance.”

About 200 people were paralyzed and 10 died after contracting polio from the Salk polio vaccine, in spite of manufacturers’ adherence to government standards. The California Supreme Court found Cutter Laboratories to be financially responsible for the harm, but not negligent.

1955 The Cutter Incident DPT Lawsuits

1970s & 1980s

Particularly from the combined diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus (DPT) immunization, the number of lawsuits brought against vaccine manufacturers increased dramatically, and many pharmaceutical companies left the vaccine business.

After the DPT vaccine scare, the NVICP was founded to provide compensation to people injured by certain vaccines. Omnibus Autism Proceeding

1986 National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP) 2002

Thousands of families claimed their childrens’ autism resulted from vaccination, so the NVICP established a program called the Omnibus Autism Proceeding to investigate assertions of a causal relationship between vaccination and autism.