Researchers found the anti-vaccine movement is about more than false fears about autism.
The anti-vaccine movement is often associated with the repeatedly debunked claim that the MMR shot causes autism. However, scientists studying anti-vax posts on Facebook found that the movement doesn't stem from one fear, but rather a range of theories believed by people spanning demographics and the political spectrum.
“Another surprising finding was the diversity we saw among people who posted anti-vaccination content. For example, they traversed the political spectrum from the far right to the far left.” Most of the subjects were female, at 89 percent; 78 percent were parents, 29 percent were employed, and 24 percent had a post-secondary education. Of the total, 56 percent supported Donald Trump, and 11 percent supported Bernie Sanders. Although not all users shared their location, of those who did 24 were in California, nine Texas, eight Australia, and eight from Canada.
Dr. Brian Primack, senior author of the study and director of the Center for Research on Media, Technology and Health at the University of Pittsburgh, told Newsweek parents who are still on the fence about vaccines “should talk to their pediatrician or family doctor about their concerns, especially when it comes to any information they may see on social media about vaccines.”
William Moss, a specialist in epidemiology and immunology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, who also did not work on the research, told Newsweek: “What surprised me most was the demographic profiles of those who posted anti-vaccine material, particularly that most identified as women and parents. Also surprising was that the individuals were from 36 states and 8 countries, despite the fact that they were responding to a video posted by a single pediatric clinic in Pittsburgh.
“The challenge for pediatricians and public health researchers is to communicate the safety and efficacy of vaccines in ways that are compelling to parents.”
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