Last Week Tonight host John Oliver has addressed the growing anti-vaccination movement, calling vaccinations “one of humanity’s most incredible accomplishments” for saving “millions of lives”.
In his opening monologue, Oliver focused on the rise in anti-vaxxers, which he says has been amplified by the “human megaphone” that is Donald Trump.
Oliver explained at one stage people lined up for the polio shot “like it was an iPhone”, but now there is growing unwarranted skepticism around vaccinations.
“Despite their success, small groups are both skeptical and vocal about vaccines, which is nothing new,” he said.
“But these days their voice has been amplified by the human megaphone that is the president of the United States.”
Oliver said that during his campaign Trump advocated for "smaller doses" of vaccines because "tiny children are not horses".
Oliver went to explain that although the myths around vaccination have already been debunked, there's still a lot of misinformation in the anti-vax community and that's leading an alarming number of people to not vaccinate their kids.
“Parents get so much information, it is hard to know what to do,” he said. “Did you vaccinate? Did you eat the placenta? Did you let kids cry? And the answer to those, by the way, are yes, no and absolutely, because the more they cry now the more they’ll be prepare to watch This Is Us when they get older."
Why are parents so stressed? Post continues...
Oliver finished off his monologue on a personal note: “Parenthood in general is f**king terrifying. And I am someone who is scared of literally everything."
"For what it’s worth, I have a son. He is 19 months old. He was born prematurely following a very difficult pregnancy. And I was worried about his health and I still worry about his health a lot. But we are vaccinating him fully on schedule. And if I can overcome the temptation to listen to the irrational shouting of my terrified lizard brain, then I believe that everyone can.”
Top Comments
Another great episode! I think he'll struggle to change the mind of some of the dedicated anti vaxxers, but hopefully he'll have convinced some of the more confused/ undecided.
I actually think a lot of the issue is that parents today just haven't seen what these diseases can do and don't have that personal connection from knowing someone affected. Our grandparents probably heard about uncles and aunts that died in infancy from disease and probably knew someone that had polio. Our parents probably knew someone that was sterile after childhood measles.
Bring out the old photos and videos, I say. Or even photos and videos from third world countries where the diseases we now vaccinate against are rampant.
I was only talking about that angle to friends a few weeks ago. It's the invisibility of these deadly diseases that allows vaccination to be questioned. Who, under the age of 50, really knows what polio is or does?
Then again, if the video circulating a while back of the tiny baby with whooping cough doesn't influence you, then I reckon nothing will.
I sent that whooping cough video to my BIL who was on the fence about vaccinations...I was so relieved when it had the intended effect. Don't know what I would have done if he stayed on the fence or worse!
I have seen children struggle to breathe with whooping cough, children in hospital with measles. I have patients still suffering the long term effects of polio. I have seen a young woman lose limbs from pneumococcal septicaemia. I'll never forget doing a lumbar puncture on a two year old with meningitis, and seeing purulent fluid drain out.
I have never seen a vaccine injury worse than a red swollen arm.
As a parent, I remember feeling that anxiety as I lined up for my baby to have her first vaccinations. But as a doctor, I would feel petrified if she wasn't vaccinated.