Vaccination falsehoods

The thing that saddens, and angers, me about the anti-vaxxers is that they are prepared to believe falsehoods and misinformation put about on social media, yet they refuse to accept scientific facts published in peer-reviewed journals and which have been proven over many years of treating infectious diseases.

Such journals only publish papers that have been reviewed by independent experts to ensure that the science is sound.

Of course, we now have two generations that have never experienced an epidemic, or a pandemic.

Many people no longer know anything about such diseases as smallpox, diphtheria, polio or TB (tuberculosis) – or even measles, mumps, chickenpox or scarlet fever.

All were killers. They have now virtually disappeared – due to vaccinations against them.

I can excuse people’s ignorance of the facts; but there is no excuse for failing to evaluate the evidence.

We live in a free country, so people have the right to refuse vaccination. But, if they become infected by the virus, I assume they expect to be treated by the NHS – which is paid for by the rest of us (and intensive care is very expensive).

Maybe they should have to ‘pay the price’ for their principles – and have to be treated in the private sector?

Malcolm Morrison

Retired surgeon

Swindon

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