So, my an online american friend said"My mom didn’t want to vaccine vax cuzs autism". Is he joking? I know many people say thing like that but i thought they all were joking?

In my country which is a third world country no one believe shit like that even my Grand mother who is illiterate and religious don’t believe thing like that and knows the benefit of vaccine.

  • pulsewidth@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    The modern anti-vax movement started in the UK with Andrew Wakefield, I wouldn’t be quick to square the bulk of the blame with the US.

    It’s a global phenomenon of the gullable, the willfully ignorany, and the vulnerable (usually through personal loss or trauma) - and the fraudsters who wish to take advantage of them.

    • cynar@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      Wakefield wasn’t anti Vax. He was against the MMR jab specifically. He was also invested in one of the alternative vaccines, and faked data to make money.

      His (false) message got garbled crossing the pond, and gained traction in America as a general anti Vax movement.

      • pulsewidth@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        Wakefield wasn’t antivax? He’s made two anti-vax movies now, the most recent anti-mumphs vaccine one ‘Prorocol-7’ in 2024. He’s now lived in Texas for over a decade and is paid by various antivax groups as a speaker and advisor, reportedly as his primary income. He’s been involved in multiple attempts to kerb mandatory vaccinations for school enrollment.

        His message didn’t get garbled - he’s the one right there telling it!

        • cynar@lemmy.world
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          22 hours ago

          More like he pivoted to the money when his scientific work was dismantled.

          At the time he was selling a vaccination. He was willing to throw (autistic) children under the bus to make more money off of it. The fact he was then willing to jump on the anti Vax train doesn’t surprise me.