Someone who rejects medical advice and scientific consensus about the efficacy and safety of vaccinations. Typically pairs with anti-government paranoia, anti-corporate sentiment, conspiracy theories, and the "appeal to nature" fallacy. Anti-vaxxers also spawned the movement of autism-trutherism, which claims that autism is caused as a response to adjuvants found in vaccinations.
While there are several common schools of thought among anti-vaxxer circles, specific claims will often change about why vaccinations are harmful. The anti-vaxxer will single out benign ingredients as being particularly toxic regardless of its concentration, or sometimes that inoculation itself is a sham practice and was never necessary. Many anti-vaxxers instead champion "natural immunity," which involves actually contracting the disease that is vaccinated against in hope that they will be less susceptible to it in the future.
Tactics often include the "argument from ignorance," the "appeal to nature," and "begging the question."
While there are several common schools of thought among anti-vaxxer circles, specific claims will often change about why vaccinations are harmful. The anti-vaxxer will single out benign ingredients as being particularly toxic regardless of its concentration, or sometimes that inoculation itself is a sham practice and was never necessary. Many anti-vaxxers instead champion "natural immunity," which involves actually contracting the disease that is vaccinated against in hope that they will be less susceptible to it in the future.
Tactics often include the "argument from ignorance," the "appeal to nature," and "begging the question."
My kid got measles from Disneyland because a bunch of unvaccinated kids showed up. Stupid anti-vaxxer parents are killing kids!
by Molasseswar August 28, 2015
One who spent 20 minutes reading titles from a google search and now believes they are better educated than doctors who spend 10 years combined in medical school and residency. Synonym: Dunning-Kruger.
The anti-vaxxer spent 20 minutes Googling and decided they knew more than doctors who spend their entire lives studying the subject.
by VicRMCX August 29, 2015
A particularly stupid brand of conspiracy theorist who believe watching a YouTube carries the same weight as a medical degree.
by Sherri Tenpenny August 29, 2015
Someone who, despite abundant scientific research and studies showing the opposite, believes that vaccines are dangerous, and instead turns to ineffective "placebo" methods of keeping themselves well.
by Bertramism August 28, 2015
Opposed to the use of vaccines; despite the overwhelming scientific consensus that vaccines are safe and effective.
Will often resort to retracted and debunked research papers (some decades old) and conspiracy theories to back up their claims.
Will often resort to retracted and debunked research papers (some decades old) and conspiracy theories to back up their claims.
"Did he really just cite Wakefield?"
"Yeah, next we'll be hearing about mercury and lizard people, typical anti-vaxxer tripe".
"Yeah, next we'll be hearing about mercury and lizard people, typical anti-vaxxer tripe".
by SciMonkey August 29, 2015
A person, usually a mother, who could not afford an abortion, so doesn't vaccinate their children in hopes that they will eventually get aborted by nature.
"Could you afford an abortion?"
No, so I just became an anti vaxxer so they would just be aborted for free!
No, so I just became an anti vaxxer so they would just be aborted for free!
by Iamvaccinated February 16, 2019
A person who rejects vaccines because they are under the mistaken impression that they are unsafe or useless.
Comparable to people who reject evolution, anti-vaxxers ignore the evidence that vaccines have saved millions of lives around the world. They dismiss the fact that diseases such as measles and diphtheria can kill, and do kill thousands of children who lack the privilege of easy access to vaccines.
The modern anti-vax movement was ignited by Andrew Wakefield, a surgeon who published fraudulent data in 1998 suggesting the MMR vaccine caused autism. The British media fell for it and stirred up a public panic. Vaccine uptake fell leading to an epidemic in Wales in 2013 affecting 1200 people, with almost 100 hospitalisations and 1 death.
Wakefield was struck off the UK medical register in 2010. Among other things, he had ordered unethical, invasive procedures on children including colonoscopies and spinal taps. Anti-vaxxers nevertheless treat him as a Messiah figure, only interested in children's welfare.
Many anti-vaxxers are part of the new age, pro-organic food brigade who rant endlessly about alleged toxins in vaccines yet will happily give bleach enemas or colloidal silver to autistic children to "cure" them.
Chiropractors, homeopathy advocates and other pseudoscientific or alternative health nuts are often anti-vaxxers. They say Big Pharma is only in it for the money before trying to sell you their measles-preventing coconut oil remedy.
Comparable to people who reject evolution, anti-vaxxers ignore the evidence that vaccines have saved millions of lives around the world. They dismiss the fact that diseases such as measles and diphtheria can kill, and do kill thousands of children who lack the privilege of easy access to vaccines.
The modern anti-vax movement was ignited by Andrew Wakefield, a surgeon who published fraudulent data in 1998 suggesting the MMR vaccine caused autism. The British media fell for it and stirred up a public panic. Vaccine uptake fell leading to an epidemic in Wales in 2013 affecting 1200 people, with almost 100 hospitalisations and 1 death.
Wakefield was struck off the UK medical register in 2010. Among other things, he had ordered unethical, invasive procedures on children including colonoscopies and spinal taps. Anti-vaxxers nevertheless treat him as a Messiah figure, only interested in children's welfare.
Many anti-vaxxers are part of the new age, pro-organic food brigade who rant endlessly about alleged toxins in vaccines yet will happily give bleach enemas or colloidal silver to autistic children to "cure" them.
Chiropractors, homeopathy advocates and other pseudoscientific or alternative health nuts are often anti-vaxxers. They say Big Pharma is only in it for the money before trying to sell you their measles-preventing coconut oil remedy.
That anti-vaxxer is so clueless they think the flu jab will give them flu
I'm not an anti-vaxxer, but I do think that polio isn't a serious disease and that vaccines destroy the brains of children making them autistic as part of a holocaust engineered by Bill Gates
I'm not an anti-vaxxer, but I do think that polio isn't a serious disease and that vaccines destroy the brains of children making them autistic as part of a holocaust engineered by Bill Gates
by VaccineTruthUK August 29, 2015