Interesting programme on iPlayer. Delves back into history of anti-vax, vaccine "hesitancy", Wakefield etc. Mainly focuses on UK and US. Suspicion of Pharma and their financial links with the establishment. Impact of social media. Worth a watch from a social history point of view if nothing else. On iPlayer for another 29 days.
It was a totally unconvincing "hit piece" that seemed to be struggling with the notion of whether or not it was trying to be a hit piece.
don't suppose it questions how Wakefields paper was published to start off with, and it taking 12 years for the Lancet to retract it(?)
They also didn't touch on this from the CDC itself which tells you who should not get which vaccine and why. Almost every single vaccine states this as a category of people not to get that particular vaccine: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/should-not-vacc.html Can anyone tell me what tests they perform before vaccines to identify such categories as the above people, whether they are known to be already in the exclusion category or worse have an underlying condition yet to be experienced? When they decide to mandate vaccines, which they already have in some places, who will decide who falls within the exclusion categories? Will it be you the individual or will it be the state?
Despite all the rhetoric, rates of antivaxxers are not increasing and vaccination rates are at or near all time highs in almost all countries around the world. Those countries with lower vaccination rates have had severe vaccine shortages and other health system crises (Philippines, Ukraine - though rates have improved in Ukraine since the catastrophe). Worldwide trust in vaccines is also increasing. The Wakefield paper only had an effect on MMR vaccination rates in one country: the UK in the early-mid 2000s, and the rates improved back to the long term trend by 2007 or so. There was one death of a child due to measles during this period, which could be attributed by the lower vaccination rates in the prior period. There is no other meaningful effect of Wakefield's paper on vaccination rates. Those who quote Wakefield are likely to be conscientious objectors for other reasons. All this fear of social media increasing antivaccination rates is misguided, given the evidence.
It's essential to apply the same rigour to this subject as to ME. From this interview parallels are clear between vaccine promoters and deniers of the science on ME: https://childrenshealthdefense.org/news/the-mandate-for-choice/