The Anti-Vaccine Conspiracy

Name: Professor’s Name: Course: Date: The Anti-Vaccine Conspiracy I. Introduction Conspiratorial ideation refers to the tendency of individuals or groups of individuals to believe that certain furtive organizations and groups secretly manipulate power relations and events. Many of these conspiracies are non-falsifiable, demonstrably false, or lacking in evidence, yet, public acceptance remains high (Grimes 1). Attempts to convince the general public of the authenticity of scientific and medical findings can be impeded by such narratives, which can create disagreement or doubt in areas where scientific evidence is sufficient. II. Discussion The World Health Organization has listed vaccine hesitancy (a refusal or reluctance to vaccinate or allow one’s child to be vaccinated) among the top ten global health threats of 2019 (WHO np). Reluctance is the product of public debates concerning the legal, ethical, and medical issues associated with vaccines. Debates as well as reluctance have occurred since the advent of vaccines, with fear and controversy accompanying the introduction of each vaccine (Di Pietro et al., 357). In the United States, approximately 1-3% of children have vaccination exemptions. This can spike to 20% in some communities. An increase in opposition to vaccination and the geographic clustering in non-vaccinated and under-vaccinated individuals and communities is associated with outbreaks of vaccine-avoidable infectious illnesses internationally and in the U.S. (Stein np). Despite the vast pool of evidence showing that vaccines are effective and safe, uncorroborated scares regarding the safety of vaccines still occur, resulting in deaths and outbreaks of illnesses that can be prevented with vaccines (Phadke et al., np). For instance, the folk epidemiology stating that the MMR (Mumps-Measles-Rubella) vaccine cause autism has been extensively disproved by scientific and medical evidence; however, this belief still causes some parents to avoid or delay vaccinating their children. The impact of opposition to vaccination assumes a challenging dimension when disinformation and misinformation are disseminated through various social media platforms. A significant number of “thoughtful influencers” in the anti-vaccine movement including certain celebrities, doctors whose theories have been disapproved...