Measles has just visited the Big Apple, and public health officials are warning the city's small unvaccinated population to be on guard.
Tagged With antivaxxers
Spend time talking to someone who considers themselves an anti-vaxxer - or more generously, a vaccine sceptic - and something becomes apparent pretty soon: The conspiracy well usually runs deep. There's no shortage of anti-vaxxers who also believe in other iffy things, such as "natural" cancer treatments and a government-ordered 9/11. A new study, published this week in Health Psychology, reaffirms that obvious connection while providing some insight on why it's so hard to sway anti-vaxxers from demonstrably false beliefs.
Back in January, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that it was getting involved with a large outbreak of mumps in Washington state. At the time, it was uncertain if the problem was isolated to the region. It's now becoming clear that the uptick of infections is occurring across the United States.
With Donald Trump in the White House, the fringe anti-vaccine movement has seen more support in Washington than ever before. The president has not only met with leaders of this dangerous movement, but entertained appointing an anti-vaxxer to a committee charged with investigating 'vaccine safety.'
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the vaccine critic that Donald Trump is reportedly considering to chair a committee on vaccine safety, wants vaccine advocates to "prove" they're safe.