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from the once-more-for-those-who-haven't-been-paying-attention dept.
The Center for American Progress reports:
A large new study--which was published just in time for National Infant Immunization Week--is being hailed as the final "nail in the coffin" of the persistent conspiracy theory that [the vaccine for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) is] linked to autism.
[...]In the years since [disgraced British doctor Andrew] Wakefield's [completely discredited] research on the topic, several different studies have reaffirmed the safety of the recommended childhood vaccination schedule. No credible evidence has emerged that vaccines have any effect on autism rates.
Now, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has ruled out a potential vaccine-autism link even among a small group of children who are more at risk for the disorder. The review of nearly 100,000 children found (paywall) that even when toddlers have an older sibling who has been placed on the autism spectrum--which means they could have a greater chance of developing autism themselves--getting the MMR shot does nothing to increase that risk.
This still doesn't solve the Jenny McCarthy (bimbo) problem:
A lie can go around the world while the truth is lacing up its boots.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 07 2015, @03:49PM
> A conspiracy faith.
The thing is, your belief that vaccines don't cause autism is faith too.
For all practical purposes, we live the majority of our lives on faith because none of us have time to fully investigate more than a handful of topics. Everything else we trust the explanations given to us. We try to apply logic to it, but that can only take us so far. In the end we give our trust to people because otherwise we would be frozen in a sort of "paralysis of analysis."
The only way to reduce conspiracy theories is to increase trust. More studies repeating previous studies won't do that because the anti-vaxxers doubt the legitimacy of the studies in the first place, so to them more studies just means more lies.
I have two ideas for increasing trust:
(1) Publicly hold drug companies to higher standards - start some criminal prosecutions for their most egregious behaviours, etc.
(2) Aonvince a prominent anti-vaxxer to come in and spend the time to hand-hold them through all the nitty-gritty details. Don't talk down to them, don't try to 'play' them - treat them respectfully and go all out to inform them. Make them an actual expert. Do so publicly, let them blog about the process or whatever so that it isn't in secret. If you do a good job, they will come out convinced of the error of their ways. Their change won't convince every anti-vaxxer, but that would be an impossible goal. What will happen is that many of the people who put their trust in that person will change their minds too.
We've seen at least one case of that with climate-change deniers. [theguardian.com] It was easier to do because the guy is an actual scientist, but the princple is the same - increase trust by addressing the person's doubts.