Patreon Pack Q&A #2
Topic: Conspiracy Theories, Pseudoscience, and “Wellness,” Q: How do we combat misinformation and conspiracy theories that are expressed by our friends and family members? A: This question sends me straight back to when I found out that my youngest sister wasn’t going to get vaccinated because of the myth that it affects fertility. This was back in April, when I had already made my appointment for my first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. My reaction was not great. I remember jumping right into scrutinizing her choices, yelling at my mother for “taking her side,” and refusing to listen to science, and jumping straight into technical explanations of data and risk-benefit factors, along with trying to angrily educate my mother about how vaccines actually work. My mom and youngest sister live in a small rural town in Maine, and neither have higher than a high school education. While their level of formal education has absolutely nothing to do with how intelligent they are, they tend to follow the crowd of popular opinion within their community. They roll their eyes at me and my other sister for being “know-it-alls,” quite frequently, and don’t like to make a big deal about illness because they have a Puritainistic mentality around work ethic. We disagree a lot. I am also an incredibly passionate person who reads everything and likes to know as much as possible about all of the things *just in case*. My trauma response is often to do research and solve the problem or find the prognosis immediately. It’s terribly stressful and nerdy. I am a great teacher to everyone except members of my immediate family. I have the most amount of patience with everyone except for my mother and siblings. The whole conversation led to a rift which was not easily resolved (my sister still remains unvaccinated, and is now pregnant). But what I learned from it are two things:
Creating trust and reassuring the person you are in conversation with about vaccination is key. If we are unwilling to hear their reasoning, then we are alienating them and making them feel like they are stupid. That sucks. Asking questions is clutch; not in an intimidating, rapid-fire way, but from a place of genuine curiosity. It creates a bond and you get to learn something about that person--their interests, where they get their news, and their vulnerabilities. This is huge for the relationship. When your loved ones feel seen and heard without judgement, you become a safe place for them to go, and they are more likely to listen to you. Explaining your reasoning once you have given them the space to speak theirs shows them that you trust them--which strengthens their chances of hearing you out and using the factual information you passed on to them in their decision, rather than information spewed from random sources of misinformation. This is all that I do with vaccine hesitant individuals, now. I ask them questions, curiously, and I am understanding of their fears. Then I give them my own experience as a template, reassure them that I care for their health and wellness, ask them if they have any specific questions for me, or if they would like me to share my sources with them, and about 8/10 times they end up scheduling their vaccination appointment right then and there. I learned the hard way. Due to my steep learning curve, I am now much more mindful in my approach to speaking with those who are vaccine hesitant because of misinformation and conspiracy theories. Ultimately, hard conversations are worth the initial discomfort--especially if it means a life, or many lives, will be saved in the process. Q:What are some historical pseudoscience/guru/conspiracy theory situations that have been debunked in the past? A: As we learned last week, opposition to vaccination started out in puritanistic religious groups. When vaccination was mandated in England in the mid 19th century, it fueled riots and politicized the public health tool of vaccination against deadly diseases. False claims among these original anti-vax groups became the norm. Most recently, however, claims that MMR vaccines cause autism have spread far and wide. First starting in the UK, and spreading through parts of Western Europe and North America where vaccination rates among children dropped from 92% to as low as 60% in some areas during the early 2000’s. This was all fueled by a paper published by former doctor Andrew Wakefield via The Lancet in 1998--all of which was flawed and incorrect. He was later barred from practicing medicine in the UK, even after admitting the paper was “utterly false”. For many people who consider themselves “Freedom Fighters,” (AKA White Supremacists) this, along with other single issue voter topics like Pro-Gun and Pro-Life movements, have been grouped into the same circle to form alt-right Republican ideals which have grown ripe in our current political climate. Over the course of the past 5 years, specifically, they have bled into holistic white wellness and alternative health practices in the form of “coaching,” and MLM schemes, entrenched in the same methodology as purity culture, just wrapped in trendier packaging and proliferated through social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram. This has created a “choose your own adventure,” landscape in the time of COVID, as white people who lean more toward holistic health and reject westernized medicine intersect drastically with white people who practice, teach, and profit off of the yoga industry.
Q:How are people in the wellness/yoga space are financially profiting off of the counter narrative? A: Here is an NYT piece about the leader of the “disinformation dozen.” Check out my previous list in the glossary section of my first post to learn more names of the disinformation dozen, as well. I plan to include a full chapter on Christiane Northrup and her direct involvement in vaccine misinformation and pseudoscience as well as how both she and HAY HOUSE PUBLISHING continue to profit off of her published works and anti-vaxx rhetoric, specifically in this book (it is already being drafted and will be a feature for December!) Q: Are there good ways to teach and encourage critical thinking skills within the wellness/yoga world? A:There are, and to get to the root of it, I would like to introduce you all to my friend Julian Walker of the Conspirituality Podcast in this video. This will also be a prevalent chapter in this book. I plan to share the detailed outline of the entire book within the next few weeks. For now, I would like to emphasize what my friend Julian brought up: The best way to encourage critical thinking skills in yoga is to make sure yoga teachers are educated in ethical and philosophical yoga--not just asana (the physical practice of yoga). My essay that started this whole journey “Getting Vaxxed Was My Act of Ahimsa,” outlines the ethical and critical thinking tools which yoga emphasizes. Unfortunately, the Westernized Yoga Industry and the White Wellness Industry have fast-tracked yoga education and training programs, sacrificing the most crucial pillars of Yogic Philosophy and watering down methods of instruction into fast-paced, digestible workout alternatives for the cash cow of capitalism. Patreon Pack Q&A 11.10.2021 A Brief History of Smallpox and Global Vaccination Q: How do you think that the medical and scientific community were able to accomplish global vaccination over many years? A: Smallpox has been tracked back to ancient Egypt, Turkey, and other parts of Europe. The recorded history of it’s steps toward vaccination are dubious at best, and it is often glossed over in the Western world that an enslaved black man in Boston introduced the first method of inoculation to his owner. Onesimus was owned by one Puritan minister, Cotton Mather, who unlike many of his fellow slave owners sought to educate his enslaved people in order to rid them of the Devil and indoctrinate them in the Christian faith. While he was undoubtedly not an ally of Black people, and believed that enslaved people would eventually rebel, he trusted Onesimus whom he deemed “very intelligent.” Onesimus approached Mather with a solution to ending death by smallpox to his owner in the midst of the epidemic in Boston in 1721. He recounted how one of the physicians in his homeland on the continent of Africa had inoculated himself and others by exposing the pus from smallpox pustules to open wounds on the arms of those in the community (this procedure was referred to as variolation). From there, the idea of inoculation grew in the West, with some pushback from those who were distrustful of enslaved Black people, particularly other ministers and devout Christians who wholeheartedly believed that Black people were a product of Satan. One singular physician named Zabdiel Boylston attempted variolation after hearing of it’s success in both China and Turkey. Variolation was met with some success in the surviving population of Boston. In 1796, English doctor Edward Jenner developed an effective vaccine using cowpox to provoke smallpox immunity after noticing several of his milkmaids who had developed cowpox were unaffected by smallpox exposure. He tested his theory that cowpox was a preventative for smallpox by taking the pus of a cowpox sore from his milkmaid Sarah Nelmes and inoculating it on the arm of his gardener’s 9 year old son, James Phipps. He used James Phipps further in his experiments which led to the modern practice of vaccination. This led to smallpox being wiped out globally by 1980. In over two centuries, vaccination replaced other methods of inoculation and became a globally accepted and respected practice, though multiple extremist religious groups from all corners of the globe, but especially those in Western Anglo-Saxon societies, have continued to stand in opposition of vaccination due to the longstanding belief that it is a satanic practice--the original origins of this belief are rooted in White Supremacy based on Onesimus and Mather’s original conversation about variolation. To me, this proves that anti-vaxx conspiracy theories and rhetoric are inherently racist. It also proves that the history we are taught has been told through a white lens. Inoculation was invented by a black man. Not Onesimus--he was the messenger, and the reason why global vaccination exists--but one of the elders in his community on the continent of Africa, from where he was stolen by White men and sold into enslavement. It is highly probable that those in both China and Turkey who met success with inoculation before Westerners were influenced by traditional medicine practices of Africa. That’s the history, and it serves as a precursor to my answer: I think it took over 300 years to reach global immunity via vaccination to smallpox simply because of racism and enslavement. White people and our cruel, violent, and dominant culture not only spread smallpox globally via slave ships and colonization, but many Puritanistic beliefs prevented scientific methods from being developed over hundreds of years. Fast forward to today and ask yourself this rhetorical question: What group(s) do we see as the leaders of misinformation and anti-vax rhetoric? (I will give you a hint: White Supremacists who use the bible as a prop for pseudoscience, propaganda, and mass harm.) Sources: https://www.history.com/news/smallpox-vaccine-onesimus-slave-cotton-mather https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/history/history.html Childhood Vaccination Q: I often hear mothers say “There are just too many vaccines!” I never thought about how we got to this point--and how necessary vaccination is. I would love to tease out the nuance of knowing we haven’t “gone too far.” A: From birth to 18 years of age there is a list of 16 FDA approved and regulated childhood vaccinations. This list is as follows:
Influenza: Otherwise known as “the Flu” and previously referred to as the “Spanish Flu,” during the pandemic of the early 20th century, this illness claimed the lives of nearly 100 million people--many of whom were children. Parents had multiple children die of the flu at a young age, and recycled the names of said dead children for their siblings born after their death, only for those kids to die. For many families, the graves of their young children held a successive collection of multiple graves whose gravestones read the same name (the main reason being that the children were the namesake of a grandparent or great grandparent). An annual flu shot has been top priority in every pediatrician’s practice for half a century since the development of the influenza vaccines. I used to not understand the importance of getting an annual flu shot, and I believed my mother who thought that it gave you a worse flu infection than just getting the virus itself. That all changed after I had my son. Understanding not only the importance, but the immense privilege of having access to a vaccine that protects millions and prevents thousands upon thousands of deaths specifically among young children and the elderly is something that is not widely taught. Because of how far removed we were from a pandemic like the flu, we grew complacent and misunderstood the assignment when COVID-19 hit us in the face. Here we are, and boy does it suck to be here. Get your flu shot. It’s widely available and incredibly necessary. DTaP (Diptheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis): Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis are potentially serious bacterial diseases that can be safely prevented in adults and children with vaccines. Diphtheria causes a thick membrane-like covering in the back of the throat. It can lead to breathing problems, paralysis, heart failure, and even death. Tetanus (also known as lockjaw) is a serious disease that causes painful tightening of the muscles, usually all over the body. It can lead to “locking” of the jaw so the person cannot open their mouth or swallow. Tetanus leads to death in about 1 in 10 cases. Pertussis (also known as whooping cough) is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection. Although it initially resembles an ordinary cold, whooping cough may eventually turn more serious, particularly in infants. Vaccines are available that can help prevent these diseases. CDC recommends:
Polio: The first Polio epidemic in the U.S. was accounted for in 1894 in Rutland County, Vermont, where 18 deaths and 132 permanent cases of paralysis were reported. At first it was not assumed that the disease could be spread from person to person, but the contagious nature of polio was established in 1905 through the research of Swedish Doctor, Ivar Wickman, and it’s virus was identified in 1908 in Vienna by Karl Landstiener and Erwin Popper. In 1910 Doctor Simon Flexner of New York investigated poliovirus immunity through germicidal substances present in the blood of monkeys who had been exposed to poliovirus and survived. These substances were neutralizing antibodies to polio. In 1929 the Iron Lung was introduced by Dr. Philip Drinker and Dr. Charles McKhan at Boston Children's hospital for patients suffering from paralytic polio (I personally know a woman who survived polio in the early 1950’s, and she suffered permanent paralyzation from the waist down because of it, and was dependent on an iron lung for two decades). It wasn’t until 1935 that the start of trials for the polio vaccine began, conducted by Dr. Maurice Brodie with a trial group of 11,000 individuals, meanwhile, John Kolmer, MD, of Temple University in Philadelphia developed an attenuated poliovirus vaccine, which he tested in about 10,000 children. The tests proved a disaster. Several subjects died of polio, and many were paralyzed, made ill, or suffered allergic reactions to the vaccines.. At that point, Polio was the most feared of any childhood illness. In 1936 researchers Peter Olitsky and Albert Sabin demonstrated a new cultivation method for poliovirus. They were able to grow the virus in human embryonic brain tissue. Though their finding was interesting to researchers, it would not lead to immediate practical application. Researchers had long known that making a vaccine from virus bred in nervous system tissues presented challenges. The risk came from possible damage to the vaccine recipient’s nervous system. In 1941 it was discovered that poliovirus entered through the mouth and into the digestive system rather than through the nose and into the respiratory system. This led to hope that the virus could be mitigated through the bloodstream before it even reached the nervous system, which led to research in oral poliovirus vaccines (some of which were controlled studies and others which directly tested on small groups of institutionalized or intellectually disabled children). It wasn’t ultimately until 1954 that a massive national vaccine trial within the U.S. went into effect by Dr. Jonas Salk. Over 1.3 million children participated in these randomized, double-blinded tests. This was far different to former research conducted in any other polio vaccine. On April 12 1955 results from the trials were announced and the U.S. Government licensed Dr. Salk’s vaccine the same day. A month later, the U.S. Surgeon General, suspended the polio vaccination program in order to investigate the safety of all six manufacturers’ vaccine. The full review concluded that 11 people died from the vaccine and hundreds were paralyzed. Though the cause of the disaster was never proven, it is likely that certain production methods (which, it turns out, did not follow Salk’s instructions) resulted in a failure to completely kill the Type 1 (Mahoney) poliovirus in the vaccine. In 1959 researcher Dr. Albert Sabin formed a bond with Soviet health officials who wanted a cheaper alternative to Salk’s vaccine. Through his development of the live (IPV vs. OPV--a dead virus) virus vaccine, by 1960 the US Surgeon General permitted licensing of the IPV vaccine. In 1985 a goal was set to eliminate Polio in the Americas and by 1994 that goal was reached. You may be wondering why I went into such lengthy historical detail on this virus and the development of it’s vaccines. I wanted to demonstrate the major scientific gains that evolved within an era wrought with many other dangerous diseases, illnesses, and societal circumstances. I also wanted to show that there are historical reasons behind vaccine hesitancy and distrust of medical science, research methods, and vaccination. Some of the dudes testing out their ineffective vaccines did some sketchy shit! They are the reason why randomized, controlled, double-blinded studies became the law of the scientific land. However, the scientific method, trial standards, and licensing procedures, did not wipe away the historical harm that was caused. The breadth of research which culminated into the eradication of a virus which literally paralyzed it’s victims at best and devastated whole populations at worst with death, fear, and developmental setbacks should not be merely glanced over. Plus, there are still people to this day who rely on an iron lung to survive because they lived in a time and place where such a monumental vaccine was not available. There is a reason why we don’t have active Polio cases anymore. It’s vaccination. Measles: The first recorded description of Measles was written by a Persian doctor in the 9th century. For centuries measles persisted through a virus called morbillivirus, which spread primarily via coughing and sneezing, and is recognizable by its well-known rash, which spreads to cover most of the body. The virus is extremely contagious: on average, 90% of those exposed to someone with the measles will get the disease themselves unless they’ve been vaccinated, or have had measles before. Patients who survive a case of the measles retain immunity to it for life. However, even now in developing areas of the world with limited access to treatment, it is estimated that up to 5% of children who contract measles die from the disease. In the decade prior to the introduction of the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) combination vaccine in the United States, it’s estimated that more than three million people were infected with the measles each year. Since MMR reached widespread use, measles cases in the country have been reduced by more than 99%. In the United States, ongoing measles transmission was declared eliminated in 2000. In 2016, some cases were reported amongst a community full of anti-vaxxers who refused to vaccinate their children. Fun. Mumps: In the United States, cases of mumps have dropped by 99% since the introduction of a vaccine in 1967. Unlike measles and rubella, however, mumps has not yet been eliminated in the United States. Recent large outbreaks have occurred among college students (2006, more than 6,500 cases) and in a tradition-observant Jewish community, sparked by a boy who returned from a trip to the United Kingdom and began showing mumps symptoms while at a summer camp (2009-2010, more than 3,400 cases). While mumps can be mild, it is highly contagious. Before vaccination it was one of the leading causes for deafness in children. Rubella: Rubella is similar to mumps, yet more dangerous to adults than children. The chief concern with this virus is the development of Congenital Rubella Syndrome. Now let’s understand that these three may not seem like *that* big of a deal, but an outbreak of measles in 2016 due to anti-vaxxers is terrifying, and it exists because we as a collective generation who has benefitted from the technology of vaccination has grown complacent and allowed misinformation and disinformation, propaganda and pseudoscience to circulate and deemed it as “harmless nonsense put out by weirdos.” It is nonsense and it is causing harm. Kids don't have to and should not develop, spread, and die from measles, mumps, or rubella in this day and age. Varicella (Chickenpox): The vaccine for chickenpox is relatively new, and the main concern from this virus is development of shingles later in life. In a few years I will be due for my first shingles vaccine as I fall into the age group of those who got immunized the old-fashioned way. Pneumococcal: Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, also called pneumococcal bacteria, pneumococci (plural), and pneumococcus (singular), are one of the leading causes of illness in young children. At least 90 types of pneumococcal bacteria are known to exist. As the name implies, they can cause pneumonia; however, these bacteria can also cause bloodstream infections (bacteremia), meningitis, sinusitis, and middle ear infection, among other illnesses. Collectively, the different illnesses caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae are referred to as pneumococcal disease. Individuals with sickle cell disease, certain immune deficiencies, or chronic renal disease, and those taking immunosuppressive drugs or using cochlear implants, are at an increased risk for pneumococcal infection. A pneumococcal vaccine that protected against 14 different strains was licensed in 1977, and expanded to protect against 23 strains in 1983. That’s a lot of bacteria that could potentially develop into life-threatening diseases! To know that we have protection against a laundry list of illnesses is pretty cool, and pretty necessary for kiddos who develop things like ear infections and meningitis relatively easily. Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib): Meningitis (an infection which spreads throughout the brain) is the most common Hib induced invasive disease.This has been greatly decreased since the introduction of an effective vaccine in 1985. There is a reason why you have to get this vaccine if you want to live in a college dorm. You straight up don’t want meningitis. Rotavirus: Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe diarrhea in children and infants worldwide. Before a vaccine was introduced in the United States, the disease caused more than 400,000 doctor visits and 200,000 emergency room visits each year, resulting in as many as 60 deaths annually in children younger than five. Globally, rotavirus kills about 450,000 children under age 5 each year, with most of these deaths occurring in developing countries. The first vaccine for Rotavirus, RotaSheild, was licensed in 1998, yet was quickly withdrawn due to severe health concerns. In 2006 and 2008 RotaTeq and Rotatrix became widely available for infant immunization via oral drops. Now, diarrhea might not seem like a huge issue in the “first-world,” but in areas where bacterial infections spread rapidly and in places in the Southern hemisphere with little access to healthcare, it is very serious. Especially among children. Have you met children? They basically spend the whole day licking floors. I have a resident floor-licker I am responsible for, and if not for a vaccine against Rotavirus, I would be dealing with way more poop than I am currently, and his health could be majorly impacted from it. Since it’s availability, the vaccine for Rotavirus greatly reduced widespread hospitalization in children from birth--5 years old. Diarrhea is the leading cause of death in children under 5 in some areas of the world, so access to a vaccine that prevents a disease like Rotavirus is crucial to the health and wellness of young children. Hep A and Hep B: While these viruses are unrelated to each other, they infect and replicate cells within the liver, causing life-threatening circumstances. The symptoms of acute hepatitis A infection are identical to those of hepatitis B infection. Early symptoms are headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, rash, body aches and pains, and dark colored urine. Following this phase, jaundice (yellow-colored skin and whites of the eyes), light stools, and liver pain may appear. Hep b is spread through bodily fluids, while Hep a is spread through fecal-oral route. Both hepatitis A and hepatitis B infection can have immediate, deadly consequences. Approximately 1% of people with acute HBV infections will suffer fulminant hepatitis, or acute liver failure. Up to 90% of patients with fulminant hepatitis will die. Up to 95% of adults infected with acute HBV infection recover and do not become chronically (permanently) infected, although they can infect other people during the acute phase via transmission of body secretions. The FDA has licensed several hepatitis B vaccines for use in the United States, including several combination vaccines. It has been part of the routine childhood immunization schedule since 1994. Some parents object to vaccinating their newborns against a disease they mistakenly think is spread only via sexual contact and IV drug use. However, newborns and young children are at risk for hepatitis B infection: apart from maternal transmission of hepatitis B to a newborn, hepatitis B transmission has been reported in school and daycare settings among children. The vaccine contains no live virus and is safe even for people with reduced immune function. The liver is a pretty important organ. Any vaccine that shields it from eruption due to viral infection is pretty important, too. Conclusion All in all, the benefits outweigh the risks. “Have we gone too far?” is a pretty uninformed, privileged question from groups who propagate anti-vaxx rhetoric. I will answer it simply: No. Vaccinate your kids. Sources:
Q: Have there been revolutionary improvements to reduce risk and increase performance? (Would that include the mRNA?) A: From smallpox and variolation, to the entire history of polio vaccines we see a trend: a start and stop and hodge-podge efforts when it comes to testing/trials and regulated safety. The development of the polio vaccine within the span of an entire century was proof of this. Everyone wanted some sort of preventative, but because there was no verifiable system in place for researchers to follow, there were a lot of mixed results. It wasn’t until a government regulated vaccine trial in the 50’s that anything really happened. Fast forward to today, and we have multiple steps in place in terms of checkpoints for medical researchers to match all the way through to the completion of randomized, controlled trials. We also have technology on our side, and the mRNA vaccines have proven to be worth the nearly 40 year wait. We live in a society based on instant gratification, as well as complacency owed to medical technology we have had access to for most of our lives. The risk factor is always relevant, but if we take history into account, there is no denying that public health has been greatly supported because of access to medical science technologies like vaccines. 80 years ago, we did not have access to most of the preventatives we have now, nor did we have the technological advancements. As it stands, vaccines are the most successful and cost effective health investments in history. Vaccination saves between 2-3 million lives each year. These public health tools have eradicated smallpox and contained polio to 3 endemic countries with an indisputable track record. The revolutionary improvements we have seen because of vaccines are a stand alone factor. The revolutionary improvements in vaccine development is due to science and science alone. The developmental process of all vaccines is relatively similar, with the common method of modification, killing or breaking apart of the germs that cause disease. This produces the key ingredient of all vaccines: the vaccine antigen. Several other substances – adjuvants, stabilisers and preservatives – are then added to make the new vaccines as effective and safe as possible. Adjuvants increase the immune response to the antigen, stabilisers increase the vaccine’s storage life, while preservatives prevent contamination of vaccines by fungi or bacteria. In terms of testing, all new vaccines go through a series of tests and trials to make sure they are effective and safe to use. Researchers carry out vaccine trials in large groups of people, not only to be confident that a given vaccine provides a high level of protection but also to be able to detect even rare side effects. My sister in law works in medical research for Children’s hospital. Her work is mainly in developmental testing for treatments in rare diseases which affect childhood growth and development. Recently, she has been working on the Pfizer trails for children of all ages, on top of managing cases with her regular patients--many of whom she has known since they were babies. Some medical/vaccine trials take years, but with mRNA they had so much data from the SARS outbreak in parts of Asia, as well as 35 solid years of tech development, that they were able to patent and launch trials close to the beginning of the current pandemic we are living in. This is HUGE. While it may seem like we have been waiting for a long time for the COVID vaccines, we have waited a miniscule amount of time in comparison to our predecessors for a vaccine that is not only more effective than any other vaccine to date, but has also presented a smaller number of extreme adverse reactions than the vast majority of vaccines in their earliest days on the market. The mRNA vaccines are a win for science and for humanity, and are as close to perfect as we could ever hope for. How revolutionary is that? Very. Sources: |