We never thought things would come to this. A Jewish community which prides itself on caring for one another has become victim of the oldest hatred - hating Jews for being different. These are some of our stories and positions.
(If you'd like your story to be shared here, email jewishvaccinestories@gmail.com. All names and locations will be removed to respect privacy - though if you are willing to include your state, it will be included.)
It was an earth-shattering revelation from the government’s world renowned pro-vaccine medical expert: in a sworn statement, Dr. Andrew Zimmerman said science proves vaccines can cause autism, after all, in “exceptional” cases. What’s worse, he claims, government officials misrepresented and covered up his findings after he informed them a decade ago.
Pharmaceutical interests portray such evidence, and efforts to study or report on vaccine safety issues, as “anti-vaccine.” Scientists and advocates on the other side argue it’s actually “pro-vaccine” to investigate ways to make vaccines as safe as possible.
Clearly, the newly-public information from Dr. Zimmerman stood to sway public opinion more than other evidence and claims. After all, he is pro-vaccine and took part in defending the government against vaccine injury claims in court. The government’s own chosen expert was now conceding a vaccine-autism link; something the government had previously told the public was impossible.
The powerful nature of Dr. Zimmerman’s findings is likely what triggered an organized media campaign driven by vaccine interests to controversialize and censor vaccine safety questions. This campaign included hyping recent measles outbreaks in the U.S. and blaming “anti-vaxxers.” As part of this campaign, a great deal of disinformation was distributed including the false claim: “There is no evidence to suggest that vaccines cause life-threatening or disabling diseases.”
In fact, on that point, there is no scientific dispute: it is untrue. Experts from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and vaccine makers alike agree that vaccines– like other medicines– are associated with serious injuries and death. The risks are disclosed on vaccine labels that the public rarely reads. The only dispute is how often such injuries and deaths occur, and exactly which injuries can be blamed on vaccines. CDC and vaccine makers say the risk of vaccine injuries and deaths is lower than the risks of the relevant diseases.
Nonetheless, members of Congress got involved in the campaign to discredit those raising vaccine safety questions. The Senate quickly convened a one-sided hearing called “Vaccines Save Lives,” in which vaccines were defended and promoted without mention of the multiple safety issues. A large group of advocates concerned about vaccine risks were locked in the hallway and not invited to appear.
The pharmaceutical industry influences Congress by spreading around enormous amounts of campaign contributions to both Democrats and Republicans, effectively scuttling attempts to improve vaccine safety or hold hearings examining vaccine-autism links and other health issues. Drug companies earn billions from vaccines. Government-mandated vaccines are guaranteed billions in the bank. Vaccine safety questions mean the possibility of enormous sums of money lost to the industry.
One point the industry and its government partners effectively argue is the notion that if people stop vaccinating, it will mean the return of deadly infectious diseases. However, vaccine safety advocates and scientists counter that vaccines are not an all-or-nothing proposition and should not be argued on that basis. They say science can identify which children have conditions that make them most likely to be injured by vaccines. Those children can be separated out while the rest of the population is vaccinated safely.
After several weeks of the relentless media campaign and under pressure from members of Congress, Facebook recently announced it intends to censor “anti-vaccine” material. Vaccine safety advocates say this move is designed to protect the vaccine industry and prevent members of the public from reading scientific studies and other information about vaccine risks.
Congressman Bill Posey (R-Florida), a pro-vaccine legislator who is one of a minority on Capitol Hill defying the pharmaceutical industry and his own leadership by pursuing vaccine safety issues, has written a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
In his letter, Rep. Posey asks whether Facebook has a relationship with vaccine makers as paid advertisers. He also asks for Zuckerberg’s views on free speech. He points out that the government has paid $4 billion to vaccine injured patients and their families in recent years. Under a special arrangement approved by Congress, damages are not paid by the vaccine industry. They are paid from a government trust fund financed by a fee that patients are charged for each dose of vaccine given.
Just found this: To be honest (see how we are not afraid to show the other side), here is an article that takes Dr. Meehan to task . The top argument Skeptical Raptor uses is questioning assumed "authority." Without having a "degree" in vaccinology, Dr. Meehan is not allowed to formulate an opinion. (The thousands of studies around the world that are referenced mostly compare fully vaccinated to those who are partially vaccinated - never to the completely unvaccinated. Since the incidence of reactions between the vaccinated PLUS MMR and the vaccinated MINUS MMR are statistically similar, the vaccine being "studied" is deemed safe. Their longer-term effects are not included in these studies, which watch for reactions for a very limited amount of time.) With that argument, Rav Asher Weiss's opinion is also invalid . Having a degree does not confer more wisdom. It all depends on how much a person studies - whether in an educational setting or as an ...
Hundreds of deluded people gather! Or maybe hundreds who are actually concerned about vaccine safety. https://www.vosizneias.com/323188/2019/05/15/monsey-ny-hundreds-attend-symposium-with-leaders-of-anti-vaccine-movement-in-monsey/ The comments have a mix between the Sonei Yisrael and Jews who are sensible and thoughtful. Monsey, NY - Hundreds Attend Symposium With Leaders Of Anti-vaccine Movement In Monsey Monsey, NY - Jews are being persecuted as disease carriers amid the outbreak of measles, a New York haredi Orthodox rabbi said at a symposium with leaders of the anti-vaccination movement attended by hundreds of haredim. “We Hasidim have been chosen as the target,” said Rabbi Hillel Handler, a Holocaust survivor from Monsey, a Rockland County town with a large haredi population, according to The New York Times. “The campaign against us has been successful.” The Centers for Disease Control has reported a total of 839 cases of measles in 23 s...
One of the claims made is that Jews who choose not to vaccinate desecrate God's name. It's an argument. But the counter argument is that anything Jews do is fodder for anti-Semites' hatred. Bernie Madoff is a Jew. I hate what he did. I had nothing to do with it. Anti-Semites will say all Jews do ponzi-schemes. The vaccine-hesitancy movement has many more non-Jews in it than Jews. In that movement, who is the most reviled person? Dr. Stanley Plotkin, a Jew. Why? Because Dr. Plotkin is the world's foremost expert in vaccines, has been involved in the making of the most vaccines, and is one of the most go-to people when it comes to the question of vaccines and their safety. Dr. Plotkin was deposed last year in a custody battle where the divorcing couple had a debate over vaccinating the child at the center of their custody battle. Dr. Plotkin was the expert witness to support the need to vaccinate the child. He was on the stand for 8-9 hours. And he reveale...
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