Wakefield's initial scam was just to discredit the MMR as he had a commercial interest in a competing vaccine.
-
-
-
It would be really interesting to do a longitudinal content analysis of anti-vax rhetoric and news coverage: how did parents process the message? How did the message change in terms of content, appeal?
- Show replies
New conversation -
-
-
One thing that has changed is who Wakefield will share a platform with. For example, these days he's quite happy to boost homeoprophylaxis. In the past, this would have been an anathema to him when still trying to peddle single vaccines.
-
An outcast who finds a community, not least one who treats the outcast as a hero, tends to absorb that community's beliefs and values (or at least tolerates them).
End of conversation
New conversation -
-
-
Taking a step back, I fear many in the scientific and medical communities don't appreciate that vaccine denialism is less an endorsement of some iteration of grand conspiracy theory (though conspiracism is a worsening problem) and more a statement of institutional mistrust.
-
To be sure, information warfare, declining scientific literacy, and many other factors contribute to the problem, and these dynamics can be difficult to disentangle from generalized institutional mistrust.
- Show replies
New conversation -
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.