Opinion: Anti-Vax Hippies
Written by Emily Hisel
Let’s talk about science.
We all are very much familiar with the outcries of rage from anti-vaxxers who have been spreading conspiracy theories and propaganda, and we also recognize the “type” of person that falls into this category--usually a conservative Christian with small town values. But there’s another type of anti-vaxxer that has infiltrated the wellness sphere, and they have promoted similar distrust when it comes to medical recommendations and government mandates.
The anti-vaccination hippie mom subculture can be traced back to the early 2000’s when celebrity Jenny McCarthy publicised her scathing critique of daycares and schools that required children to be vaccinated to attend, claiming that vaccines cause autism among other cognitive conditions. Despite there being little to no real scientific evidence to back up this claim, it led to a mass movement of wellness bloggers, alternative medicine junkies, and granola moms to voice their loud opinions online.
While citizens’ distrust of the government is not a new phenomenon, widespread distrust of science and medical evidence suggests that some people now trust advice from a holistic guru or Facebook friend over a medically trained specialist. This distrust is causing real, measurable harm all over the world as the pandemic continues.
For decades we have collectively accepted that vaccinations for childhood diseases such as measles, polio, and chickenpox were necessary for saving countless lives, but what has changed? We have a 99% effective widely-available vaccine for a disease that has killed millions since March 2020, and yet one third of the US population refuses to participate in ending this pandemic for good, thus eliminating the chance for “herd immunity.”
It is a basic evolutionary principle for viruses to come and go, however being that we live in the 21st Century with modern medicine, it’s baffling to think that anyone would seek medical advice from a vegan blog or wellness influencer.
In my opinion, the anti-vax hippies are just as much if not more dangerous than the right wing conspiracy theorists, because they are spreading their misinformation under the guise of health and wellness when the life-saving remedy is right in front of them, and free of charge.
You can’t juice cleanse your way out of contracting a contagious deadly disease just like you wouldn’t do yoga or breathing exercises to heal a bullet wound. Some healing takes medical intervention and the sooner those in the wellness field recognise and accept this, the sooner we can go back to our emotional and spiritual healing work. God knows we will need it after all of this!