I find it interesting that everyone just takes religion/fringe groups at face value. Are people really going to church because God or is it community and wanting to feel part of an in-group? The same seems doubly true for antivax: have people really honestly read all the studies and open-mindedly decided its a giant conspiracy, or are they just lonely and want something to make them feel smart?
That's why you recognize that it would not go well to attack this with physical force - the strength of people's reaction would not because they want to appear special, but because they honestly, 100% believe someone is trying to hurt their children.
But why do they believe it?
I think they believe it because it makes them feel good.
This is important because if they believed it because they'd looked at the science etc, it would mean they could be convinced by more science. But if its because of feeling, no amount of pro-vax evidence would convince them.
That's the point here: they'll die for their beliefs (some of them at least). But why do they believe it?
Until you know why, you can't challenge the belief. Your only option is to challenge the behaviour, and that's where things get messy...
What you find when you look into it is that yes vaccines are safe but only because we take stringent measures to ensure that safety. They are not safe by default as most people believe. Then what you have is Anti Vax people believing they have some untapped knowledge because when they talk to people about it very few know exactly why or how vaccines are safe, just that they are which coming from the Anti Vax perspective makes you feel you know something other people don't which is enough to validate your opinion.
This doesn't take into account risk reward even if they were not safe but that's another story.
Two things are needed for that to happen: - a study comparing vaccined to unvaccinated (the data is already there, someone just needs to be allowed to compile it) - a proper double blinded placebo safety study which was not done for any vaccine (source: Stanley Plotkin, Vaccines Deposition, Under Oath)
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2f93s53t
Read it, and let me know if you're not convinced please! Aussiming you're not, I'd like to hear your reasons. I don't expect to convince you beyond the above report, but I would really appreciate hearing your thought if that's ok?
Thanks!
On the other hand you can take a look at one of these. There is a whole range of issues here: lack of immunity after vaccination, shedding (infecting other people after vaccinations), adverse affects. And it's just a small sample of studies, there is a lot more out there.
Adverse Events following 12 and 18 Month Vaccinations: a Population-Based, Self-Controlled Case Series Analysis http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3236196/
A dose-response relationship between organic mercury exposure from thimerosal-containing vaccines and neurodevelopmental disorders. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25198681
Relative trends in hospitalizations and mortality among infants by the number of vaccine doses and age, based on the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), 1990-2010. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22531966
Is infant immunization a risk factor for childhood asthma or allergy? http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9345669
Infant mortality rates regressed against number of vaccine doses routinely given: Is there a biochemical or synergistic toxicity? http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3170075/
Infection, vaccines and other environmental triggers of autoimmunity. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16126512
Increased Risk of Noninfluenza Respiratory Virus Infections Associated With Receipt of Inactivated Influenza Vaccine http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/54/12/1778.long
A measles outbreak in a middle school with high vaccination coverage and evidence of prior immunity among cases, Beijing, P.R. China https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X1...
Adverse events following immunization with vaccines containing adjuvants. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23576057
Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis following Vaccination against Hepatitis B in a Child: A Case Report and Literature Review. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/27478662/
Pertussis epidemic despite high levels of vaccination coverage with acellular pertussis vaccine. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/24216286/
[Major measles epidemic in the region of Quebec despite a 99% vaccine coverage] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1884314
Impact of influenza vaccination on seasonal mortality in the US elderly population. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15710788
This is why logically explaining risk and rewards to them has no actual effect. Facts don't change how they feel, whether a vaccine is good or not does matter when someone wants to feel special or "make a stand".
This is the same as political extremism or religious or other illogical group forming processes.
Normally we just ignore these groups: if you join a sex cult or a far right militia then society at large doesn't really care. And that's still generally true for anti vax. But they are on the edge of becoming an issue (because it makes a material difference in my life if you don't vaccinate).
We've seen what happens when you try to break these groups up by force (Jones Town, Wako, etc). I wonder if we're any closer to actually preventing this issue (ironic given we're talking about vaccination). I wonder if public opinion will remain strong if and when we have to send in SWAT to drag kids out for vaccination...