So, my an online american friend said"My mom didn’t want to vaccine vax cuzs autism". Is he joking? I know many people say thing like that but i thought they all were joking?

In my country which is a third world country no one believe shit like that even my Grand mother who is illiterate and religious don’t believe thing like that and knows the benefit of vaccine.

    • pulsewidth@lemmy.world
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      22 hours ago

      The modern anti-vax movement started in the UK with Andrew Wakefield, I wouldn’t be quick to square the bulk of the blame with the US.

      It’s a global phenomenon of the gullable, the willfully ignorany, and the vulnerable (usually through personal loss or trauma) - and the fraudsters who wish to take advantage of them.

      • cynar@lemmy.world
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        18 hours ago

        Wakefield wasn’t anti Vax. He was against the MMR jab specifically. He was also invested in one of the alternative vaccines, and faked data to make money.

        His (false) message got garbled crossing the pond, and gained traction in America as a general anti Vax movement.

        • pulsewidth@lemmy.world
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          8 hours ago

          Wakefield wasn’t antivax? He’s made two anti-vax movies now, the most recent anti-mumphs vaccine one ‘Prorocol-7’ in 2024. He’s now lived in Texas for over a decade and is paid by various antivax groups as a speaker and advisor, reportedly as his primary income. He’s been involved in multiple attempts to kerb mandatory vaccinations for school enrollment.

          His message didn’t get garbled - he’s the one right there telling it!

    • RowRowRowYourBot@sh.itjust.works
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      16 hours ago

      It was started by Andrew Wakefield who was a UK doctor. He has lost his license for doing unapproved lumbar punctures on autistic kids.

      • Treczoks@lemmy.world
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        12 hours ago

        Yes, he started it from the UK, but it really got traction in the US so far. And the Americans blew it out of the water by expanding criticism to a specific vaccine to criticism of all vaccines in general.