memes

Can I hijack this to shout at clouds for a sec? Thanks.

Disclaimer: I am not antivax but I do have loved ones who are.

I’m tired of memes like this. They aren’t just unhelpful. They are anti helpful. The antivax problem isn’t an educational one. It’s an emotional one. Calling people stupid just makes them feel righteous. They dig their heels in and use the adversity as fuel for their own misguided system of beliefs.

The misinformation around antivax doesn’t even need to make sense because it is not designed to overcome people’s critical thinking. It is designed to prey upon the fear of people who distrust medical professionals. People who have had severe or numerous bad experiences with doctors are often eager to think of them as villains because it allows them to feel more powerful. It allows them to feel like they have other options than just to take a doctor’s word as gospel. Like they don’t just have to put their health in some stranger’s hands.

Many people have valid reasons to be afraid. From malpractice and misdiagnosis to complex chronic issues that don’t have tidy prescribable solutions, there are tons of patients and families who have been underserved by the medical industry. For these people, it’s understandable why they might cling so hard to the idea that other more independent options exist. Even if the explanations for these “alternatives” don’t hold up to scrutiny.

If you actually give a shit about this issue, please stop treating antivaxers like morons. Instead, treat them like people who are afraid, and who often have sound reasons for feeling that way.