John Oliver is doing god’s work—and by that, we mean trying his damndest to convince anti-vaxxers that their movement isn’t just totally unfounded but also downright dangerous.
On the latest episode of Last Week Tonight, Oliver went after the anti-vaccine movement; the flames of which are being fanned by “the human megaphone that is the President of the United States.” Oliver played a clip of President Trump saying that, though he supports vaccinations, he wants “smaller doses over a longer period of time,” and making the profound point that “tiny children are not horses.”
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He’s right—children are, indeed, not horses; but following an alternative immunization schedule is neither a smart nor safe move. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when immunization shots are spread out or simply omitted, children are at a greater risk of developing those diseases. Still, 93 percent of pediatricians get asked to spread out vaccines in a typical month.
Oliver went on to tackle other “concerns” anti-vaxxers have, including a link between the measles (MMR) vaccine and autism (there isn’t one—plain and simple), and the presence of mercury in infant vaccines (there’s none of that either, but even if there were, it’s not the same type of mercury in fish and would not be harmful). He also busted the myth that too many vaccines in too short a time can overload a child’s immune system, arguing that if you watch a kid for just five minutes, you’ll see that “children are fucking disgusting” and the amount of foreign substances children are exposed to through vaccines are far fewer than what they’re exposed to on a daily basis.
Still, Oliver notes that some parents believe vaccinations are a personal choice—one that only affects their child. But—surprise!—that’s wrong too. There’s this concept called herd immunity for children whose immune systems aren’t healthy enough for vaccinations. Essentially, vaccinating healthy children also provides protection for those who are more vulnerable; so, you’re not just hurting your own child by not vaccinating them, but you’re also hurting children who aren’t healthy enough to get immunized.
Listen, we get it; to quote Oliver, “Parenthood in general is fucking terrifying,” and “getting injected by a needle filled with science juice,” which is essentially what a vaccination is, sounds scary, too. But the safety of vaccinations has been proven time and again, and when they’re not widely administered, they can cause a health crisis (like the measles outbreak that’s happening in Minnesota right now).
Oliver himself has even grappled with the issue; he’s got a 19-month-old son who was born prematurely after a difficult pregnancy. Even so, he’s still vaccinating his son on schedule. For anyone still not convinced, he made a meme quoting Jesus Christ saying, “Do you seriously need some sort of wise quote to convince you on this one? Just, like, don’t be a dick.”
Watch the whole segment:
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