The next time you find yourself in a head-smacking debate with an anti-vaxxer, don’t even bother to engage.
A US study has just found that there is no way you can change the mind of someone who has consciously chosen not to vaccinate their children.
Depressing, we know.
The study, published in Pediatrics, tested four theories each designed to dispel the myths surrounding the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. The results will disturb you.
The first group, “Autism correction”, were explained (with actual science!) that it’s completely false to claim that there is a link between the MMR vaccine and autism.
It assured parents that the MMR vaccine is “safe and effective”. The second group called “Disease risks” involved telling parents of the risks – like you know, DEATH – associated with contracting the measles, the mumps, or rubella.
Group three, “Disease narrative”, were told a true story about a 10-month-old who nearly died after contracting measles from another child in a doctor’s waiting room. The fourth and final group were shown disturbing images of children who have diseases, which could’ve been prevented by the MMR vaccine.
The only group that had a significant breakthrough amongst the 1,759 Americans surveyed was group one, which focused on correcting misinformation around autism.
As for “Autism correction,” it actually worked, among survey respondents as a whole, to somewhat reduce belief in the falsehood that vaccines cause autism. But at the same time, the message had an unexpected negative effect, decreasing the percentage of parents saying that they would be likely to vaccinate their children.
So even though the parents now understood there wasn’t no link between vaccines and autism, they STILL weren’t prepared to vaccinate their children against these preventable childhood diseases. In fact, it made them more defensive about their choice.
Or, in other words beyond help.
According to Chris Mooney of Mother Jones, this is due to the ‘backfire effect’: “In this group, the likelihood of saying they would give their kids the MMR vaccine decreased to 45 percent (versus 70 percent in the control group) after they received factual, scientific information debunking the vaccines-autism link.”
“Looking more closely, the researchers found that this occurred because of a strong backfire effect among the minority of test subjects who were the most distrustful of vaccines.”
Or, in other words beyond help.
Overall the least successful messages were “Disease narrative” and “Disease images.” Hearing the list of risks that could happened actually increased respondents’ likelihood of thinking that getting the MMR vaccine will cause serious side effects, from 7.7 percent to 13.8 percent. Similarly, looking at the disturbing images of preventable childhood diseases increased test subjects’ belief that vaccines cause autism.
Sadly, the research concluded that “no intervention increased intent to vaccinate among parents who are the least favorable toward vaccines.”
However, not all is lost. A separate study concluded that when parents were prompted to think of vaccination as one of the steps you take to protect a child, like buckling a seat belt, they had a more successful outcome.
James Randi Educational Foundation and Women Thinking Inc. showed that reframing the vaccination argument to be about a lack of action and presenting their children with a real threat akin to a car crash, parents can visualize the harm that can result from their unwillingness to act. According to the authors, it’s an uncommon strategy, but so far has proven to be an effective one.
Top Comments
"Or, in other words beyond help." I think that's unnecessarily rude and condescending.
I wont vaccinate my baby...im waiting until she is a bit older. Articles like this are hell bend on creating a great big autistic strawman then knocking it down, but believe it or not, myself (and nearly every other anti-vaxxers i know) dont belie ve that vaccines caise autism. Just in my own circle of friends i have half a dozen whose babies had severe reactions to vaccines, some of whom developed growth delay and brain damage (myself included.....it took years of speech therapy to make me 'ok'. Not great, just 'ok'). I know one woman whose baby tragically died immediately after having a febrile siezure from the MMR, and she is so disgusted at the numbeer of peope who say "sorry for your loss...BUT", the 'but' usually being followed by some 'logical reasoning' that her baby would probably have spread measles around and killed them all if he hadnt been jabbed. Her baby was nothing more than collateral damage, and a baby like me (along with many many others) must have growth stunting and brain damage 'for the greater good'.
I think the decision of when to vaccine (when, not if) should be carefully weighed by all parents, and they should not be bullied for choosing to wait.
Thank you, you have worded it perfectly.
I find your email fascinating. So many babies in your circle, yourself included, with growth delay and brain damage.
Me, I would be raising the roof, calling in all the professionals, looking at things like lead poisoning in the local environment, toxic chemicals, etc.
Yet you are so certain everything is caused by vaccinations and the MMR. Have you ever looked into anything else being the cause?
Here's a true story...
In a small town in Country Vic where my sister lives, one young mother was absolutely CONVINCED her child's developmental delays were due to vaccination.
She carried on about for a long time and created a lot of vaccination fear in that community, which went on for some years.
When this child was about 6, a new doctor became interested in the case, and raised the idea of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome being very consistent with the issues the child was presenting with. Caused by the mother drinking quantities of alcohol while pregnant, it causes delays and various issues in the child - google it.
The mother's own mother then came forward and divulged how much alcohol her daughter had been consuming during the pregnancy - apparently she'd been secretly drinking massive amounts at home before and during the pregnancy, and was still consuming quite a lot.
"I think the decision of when to vaccine (when, not if) should be
carefully weighed by all parents, and they should not be bullied for
choosing to wait."
Correct - because no one knows more than a parent. That's why some parents know it's okay to smoke with a baby in the car and to give alcohol to their toddlers - because it's hilarious when they fall over - and smoking never killed anyone anyway.
Parents are always more right than experts who obviously get paid to be wrong.