Uploaded January 2023 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
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Anti-vaccine sentiment is running as high as we've ever seen it. What's wrong here? Are vaccines actually harmful, or is there some other reason people are turning away from them?
Despite vaccines being the greatest single advancement in the history of medicine, vaccine denial was brought to the forefront of conversation during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no denying that anti-vaccine sentiment is rampant, but how much of it is justified?
Vaccine denial has been around for as long as vaccines have, going all the way back to when Edward Jenner developed the first safe and effective smallpox vaccine in 1796. Jenner used cowpox in his inoculations, and religious objections arose almost immediately. Because the vaccine was sourced from animals, it was considered “unclean” and “impure”.
Smallpox was one of the most deadly diseases humans have ever encountered, and mandatory vaccination campaigns sprung up throughout Europe. Like we saw with the recent COVID-19 pandemic, many protested these acts on the grounds of personal liberty. This battle still rages in the current political climate.
So why are some people anti-vaccine? We can break this ideation down into four sections.
First, we see that many anti-vaxxers possess conspiracy ideation. This group believes that it is common for the world’s elites to conduct sinister, elaborate scams and hoaxes on the public. A study by Portland Press revealed a high correlation—particularly in western countries—between being anti-vax and believing in conspiracy theories. If the government wants us to get the vaccine, then it must be bad.
Another common reason for people to mistrust vaccines is simple tribalism. If all of their friends don’t believe that vaccines are safe and effective, then they are more likely to share that opinion. There is a common belief that having conservative political views makes someone more likely to be vaccine hesitant, and while this is true in large population samples, most in this group are only slightly vaccine hesitant. The largest contributor to vaccine hesitancy are the small pockets of extreme anti-vax groups on both sides of the political aisle.
Mistrust of conventional medicine is another driver of anti-vaccination views. People who are skeptical of or outright oppose modern medical advancements like anti-depressants and chemotherapy are much more likely to shun modern vaccines. A common belief among this group would be that vaccines and modern chemicals disrupt the body’s own natural balance.
Some people are also hesitant to get the jab simply because of a fear of needles and a queasiness around blood, doctors, and hospitals.
If you want to reach someone who has anti-vaccination beliefs, try using a bit of moral foundations theory. Appeal to their sense of liberty from governance or the sentiment of natural purity. Discuss how vaccination is a way to protect one’s health without relying upon a flawed or corrupt healthcare system. Or perhaps that vaccination protects a body by preparing it’s own natural immune system, thus minimizing the potential need to be treated with pharmaceutical drugs.
THESE VIDEOS ARE CROWDFUNDED. The next is released the moment its goal is reached: infactvideo.com/support.php
Anti-vaccine sentiment is running as high as we've ever seen it. What's wrong here? Are vaccines actually harmful, or is there some other reason people are turning away from them?
Despite vaccines being the greatest single advancement in the history of medicine, vaccine denial was brought to the forefront of conversation during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no denying that anti-vaccine sentiment is rampant, but how much of it is justified?
Vaccine denial has been around for as long as vaccines have, going all the way back to when Edward Jenner developed the first safe and effective smallpox vaccine in 1796. Jenner used cowpox in his inoculations, and religious objections arose almost immediately. Because the vaccine was sourced from animals, it was considered “unclean” and “impure”.
Smallpox was one of the most deadly diseases humans have ever encountered, and mandatory vaccination campaigns sprung up throughout Europe. Like we saw with the recent COVID-19 pandemic, many protested these acts on the grounds of personal liberty. This battle still rages in the current political climate.
So why are some people anti-vaccine? We can break this ideation down into four sections.
First, we see that many anti-vaxxers possess conspiracy ideation. This group believes that it is common for the world’s elites to conduct sinister, elaborate scams and hoaxes on the public. A study by Portland Press revealed a high correlation—particularly in western countries—between being anti-vax and believing in conspiracy theories. If the government wants us to get the vaccine, then it must be bad.
Another common reason for people to mistrust vaccines is simple tribalism. If all of their friends don’t believe that vaccines are safe and effective, then they are more likely to share that opinion. There is a common belief that having conservative political views makes someone more likely to be vaccine hesitant, and while this is true in large population samples, most in this group are only slightly vaccine hesitant. The largest contributor to vaccine hesitancy are the small pockets of extreme anti-vax groups on both sides of the political aisle.
Mistrust of conventional medicine is another driver of anti-vaccination views. People who are skeptical of or outright oppose modern medical advancements like anti-depressants and chemotherapy are much more likely to shun modern vaccines. A common belief among this group would be that vaccines and modern chemicals disrupt the body’s own natural balance.
Some people are also hesitant to get the jab simply because of a fear of needles and a queasiness around blood, doctors, and hospitals.
If you want to reach someone who has anti-vaccination beliefs, try using a bit of moral foundations theory. Appeal to their sense of liberty from governance or the sentiment of natural purity. Discuss how vaccination is a way to protect one’s health without relying upon a flawed or corrupt healthcare system. Or perhaps that vaccination protects a body by preparing it’s own natural immune system, thus minimizing the potential need to be treated with pharmaceutical drugs.
