The recent outbreaks of the Monkeypox virus is of concern, especially as how a previously uncommon virus has now given rise to infections in over 70 countries (Episode 76 Monkeypox Who is at risk) – according to the World Health Organisation. I would encourage all to take note of the CDC notes on Monkeypox and the noted symptoms to watch out for (Signs and Symptoms | Monkeypox | Poxvirus | CDC). With over 6,600 cases in the USA (as of August) and over 26,000 cases worldwide; this previously little considered virus is becoming an increasingly greater problem.
Given I do some Engineering work in the vaccine production sector, I take an interest in vaccine related matters, as well as a curious eyebrow raise to the anti-VAX’ers who seem driven to continue to perpetuate the myth that there is some sort of global conspiracy by pharmaceutical companies and/or governments; and those vaccines present some sort of risk that outweighs the illness they are aimed at mitigating.
As seen during the Covid pandemic, refuting some of the absurd claims made by many with an audience on social media consumes time, resources and money that could be better utilised elsewhere. It also costs lives. As with Russel’s Teapot, the onus of proof should be upon the Anti-VAX’ers to prove their (often absurd) viewpoint, rather than for the medical, science and engineering community to disprove it. I equate not participating in a vaccine programme as being like refusing to wear a seatbelt when driving a car.
With respects to the “Vaccine Conspiracy”, such beliefs run contrary to:
- The huge volume of people vaccinated against Covid recently (myself included). Complications have been rare, and the risk low compared to the benefit. Risk is relative and present in most aspects of life; else cars wouldn’t have airbags and seatbelts.
- The link between the MMR vaccine and autism has widely been denounced by the medical and scientific community and the research suggesting a causal link deemed as “critically flawed”. Reference the 1998 Wakefield paper (retracted) and you will find an overwhelming volume of information refuting the causal link claimed in the Wakefield paper. Despite many other researchers (at great expense in time and money – time and money that could have been used elsewhere) showing no such credible link. Internet search Mr. Wakefield and you will find “British anti-vaccine activist, FORMER physician and DISCREDITED academic who was STRUCK OFF THE MEDICAL REGISTER”… and the reported financial conflict (Reference Brian Deer of the Sunday Times) of interest Mr. Wakefield apparently had in relation to test-kits said to benefit from his “research”.
- Vaccine production, on balance, isn’t a significant profit centre for many of the pharmaceutical companies that make such vaccines. More profitable product streams exist, especially given the costs of running research and development and in setting up and running such production facilities.
- Most of the people I interface with within the pharmaceuticals industry have a strong desire to further and better medicine and human health.
- Finally, the strongest case we have against the anti-VAX’ers is that we still have people alive from the 1940s to 1960s who can give actual accounts of what life was like during the (pre-vaccine) polio pandemic. I recall my father telling me the harrowing story of seeing post-war disused aircraft hangers filled with row upon row of children in NPV (negative pressure regulator) “iron lungs”. It is something that haunted him throughout his life. Whilst my father is no longer alive to re-tell this story from 1950 Manchester, Linda Rodriguez-McRobbie’s (for the Guardian, May 2020) has well documented a story of the remarkable Paul Alexander, (polio survivor) who contracted polio in 1952 and who was alive at the time that this story went to print.
Such an anti-VAX standpoint has the potential to put everyone’s health at risk; but mostly their own – as recently highlighted by the USA seeing it’s first Polio case in an un-vaccinated person in almost 30 years (Reference: First polio case in decades reported in the Americas | The BMJ).
Does not the Public Health England chart (as reported Polio virus detected in London sewage samples – BBC News) tell a clear story in how vaccines almost eradicated this most damaging of viruses? This latest reported Polio case in the USA highlights what happens when people choose to refuse vaccines. Paul Alexander’s story adds testimony to the damage these diseases do of unchecked and people unvaccinated.
If the story of Mr. Alexander doesn’t case the point, then I would encourage such people with an aversion to vaccines to take the time to read the stories of Australian Polio Survivors, as documented recently by “Global Citizen” –
Particular note should be given to the comment from Alan Cameron (quote):
“Many people commented on how very unlucky I’d been, to which I usually respond, no, I am very lucky, because without the vaccination I’d be very, very dead,” the treasurer at Polio New South Wales — who has lived with “pretty minor” symptoms, namely a “useless” left arm — told Global Citizen.
Here we have accounts from people of Britain, Australia and the USA; all independent countries with their own governments and health systems. All telling a similar same story. As far as I know, these people are all unconnected, apart from the common link of living in a pre-vaccine world for polio.
It is true that Covid isn’t polio, but it still has caused death and prolonged suffering among those who have caught the disease. The economic damage covid caused may have been so much worse had not a global vaccination programme been rolled out (as there was from polio before it).
Whilst everyone should have the right to stupidity, these people should not have the right for their stupidity to endanger others. A problem with trying to argue with stupidity is that in doing so, it is often hard to discern which side of the argument one is on. As with Mr. Wakefield, sometimes being proven (as much as one can) wrong seems to drive one further down the path of absurdity.
Charles Bukowski was (I believe) the originator of the quote:
“The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.”
I wouldn’t care to define people as either “intelligent” or “stupid”; given some of the most “intelligent” people I have met have been capable of extreme stupidity (!!!).. I do however think Bertrand Russel better put it more eloquently than Mr. Bukowski in:
“The (whole) problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts”.
Doubts are good. Questioning is good… but there comes a time when that if it has a bill.. has feathers and webbed feet… it goes “quack”… can sit on water and can fly….. then is it most likely to be a duck. I accept that people may have belief/faith that it is not… and they are welcome to that. I don’t however accept being castigated for not going along with their “belief” that it is in fact an elephant. It isn’t for me to prove to them that it isn’t.
As covid fades (slowly, and not without a fight) from the public’s thoughts, a “new” disease in monkeypox arrives (the disease itself isn’t “new”, rather the reach and spread of the virus is). Fortunately, this time, this particular pox virus is not as transmissible, nor as deadly as covid. We might not be so “lucky” next time, nor might we have the luxury of being so accommodating of Anti-VAX’ers and their pseudoscience and unsupported (in science/medicine) viewpoints. “Next time” we may not have the time, the resources and the money to spend on counter-arguing with such people/viewpoints – money, time and resources that could be used in fighting the actual disease and the damage it causes.
I find it interesting that in 2020, when tennis professional Novak Djokovic was being denied entry into Australia to compete in the Australian Open (for presumably being un-vaccinated), that he apparently had a controlling interest in QuantBioRes (Djokovic has 80% stake in biotech firm developing Covid treatment | Novak Djokovic | The Guardian) – a company working on a “non-vaccine” covid treatment.
I wonder how many of the “free Novak” protesters (and associated “sheeple”) were aware of this “commercial interest”; or would even care to look beyond social media posts? It seems that we live in times when people often feel strongly enough to go out and protest, but not to research the facts. It also begs the question as to the value of research into a problem that we need not have. Was it wise money to be spending on an “alternative to vaccines” (not that this was, rather defined as “treatment” – if even that).
People make a choice not to take vaccines – a choice which on balance, goes against medical and scientific advice and data. Isn’t this somewhat like developing a “car windscreen net technology” for those who “choose” not to make use of seatbelts when driving their cars? For the record, I do not, and would not condone driving a car without correctly using a seat belt.
An example of the cost of vaccine disinformation is highlighted by the cost in time and resources that the Trinidad’s Health Authority spent in shutting down a local “rapper’s” statement (September 2021) as to “a side-effect” of the covid vaccine. Curiously, in response to the social-media circus such “claims” caused, Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the U.S.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases was quoted as saying that “social media was a breeding ground for COVID-19 misinformation” and that “I’m not blaming her for anything, but she should be thinking twice about propagating information that really has no basis as except a one-off anecdote, and that’s not what science is all about,” he said.
On this I disagree with Mr. Fauci in absolving the social media poster from any consequences of their actions. People choose to post on social media, fully knowing the reach and influence their opinions have. Whilst many people can and do see comment without facts as simply a baseless opinion; many clearly do not. I think that it is a Forlorn hope to expect that the Alex Jones “Sandy Hook hoax claim” defamation trial (and subsequent awards of damages) will send out a message for social media (ab)users and the platforms that allow such. I suspect that it will simply line the pockets of lawyers.
As above, the next virus pandemic (and there will be a “next”) might not give us the time, nor luxury to be as accommodating of stupidity. Sadly, the above examples also highlight that there is much money to be made from this same stupidity. Perhaps, from a revenue generation perspective, “car windscreen net technology” isn’t such a bad idea after all?
