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Friday, March 3, 2023

Vaccine Hesitancy Spreads

 In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the discredited notion that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread  And among those diseases could be COVID-19.

Antivaxxers are sometimes violent, often abusive, and always wrong.

The COVID-19 vaccine is not required in Florida, but experts tell us the anti-COVID vaccine movement has created vaccine hesitancy for the traditional vaccines.

“We often hear from parents, I just want what’s required by the schools, without ever taking into consideration all of these other vaccines which protect their children against other diseases,” said Dr. Lisa Gwynn, a University of Miami pediatrician.

I asked her if the pediatric community is worried that diseases like polio and measles could make a comeback because people are reluctant to get their kids vaccinated.

“We are absolutely worried, we’re worried sick all across the country,” Gwynn said. “What has started with the COVID vaccine has now sort of bled over into the traditional vaccinations.”

The [Miami-Dade] school district is recommending parents trust their pediatricians on the vaccine issue.