The Danger of Anti-Vaxxism

Source, Leon Farrant.

At the top of every comment page at PCG's thetrumpet.com is the following disclaimer.

The Trumpet welcomes respectful, constructive discussion, positive or negative. Comments deemed unmannerly or abusive, however, will be removed.

However this disclaimer seems to do nothing to prevent anti-vaxxers spreading their dangerous views on this website.

Anti-Vaxxer Comments on PCG's Website

Armstrongism has a long and shameful history of promoting anti-medicine superstitions. Many of HWA's followers have died or suffered bad health because of HWA's anti-medicine doctrines. Alas, PCG continues this shameful tradition.

Recently PCG decided to moan about vaccinations in Australia. They even published an article by Kieren Underwood mentioning the adoption of a law in Australia made to make it harder for anti-vaxxers to refuse to vaccinate their children.

Here are some more comments from that article which demonize and vilify essential medical treatment.

This is about control. They will FORCE this “control” on you because you are blocking somebodies money. It’s not about health or medicine.
Since some evidence abound vaccination can be very dangerous and, as they say, if a few refuse why the worry since the kids vaccinated will not get the disease, or will they? (Anti-vaxxer comment on PCG's thetrumpet.com.)

What nonsense. It is about health and medicine. Refusing children to be vaccinated puts the rest of us at risk. Neglecting to protect children is very dangerous for everyone.

So, now the Australian Govt. has taken the ‘Freedom of Choice’ away from parents and have created a generation whose survival, as a result of vaccination programs, is now totally dependent on those programs! This Govt. is now forcing people with intimidation in regards to benefits! Hopefully the 7, 000+ campaigners will grow and continue to shun these dreadful vaccinations and be taken care of in the meantime… Thanks Kieren for this report, I knew this would happen! (Anti-vaxxer comment on PCG's thetrumpet.com.)

What madness. Refusing to vaccinate children puts them at risk and puts the rest of us at risk as well. It is unfair that anti-vaxxers wish to make the rest of us suffer because of their unfounded fears. Those of us who know better are forced to live in fear that these anti-vaxxers are putting the rest of us and our children at unnecessary risk of getting infected with dreadful diseases.

It is also utter nonsense to insinuate that we are dependent on vaccines as though it was some sort of addictive narcotic. The mere fact that this writer should make such a false equivalence between vaccines and narcotics shows he or she does not understand anything about medical science.

For most of history we had nothing like this and we suffered all kinds of diseases. But now that we have this
essential medical treatment we need to be responsible and get vaccinated and get our children vaccinated.

Unfortunately some anti-vaxxers create an artificial sense of elitism among themselves by refusing to use essential medical treatment. This refusal to protect their children from dangerous diseases forces the rest of us to be vulnerable to the consequences of their decision. Because of this the rest of us find it necessary to try and protect ourselves and everyone else and speak out against this modern day superstition.

Low Vaccination Rate in California

Recently PCG's Robert Morley mentioned that California is considering trying to make it harder for parents to stop their children getting vaccinated.

Australia passed a law on Monday banning parents who don't vaccinate their children from receiving childcare benefits. So the Federal Government's new "no jab no pay" laws go into effect in January of 2016. And they will block rebates, child tax benefits, childcare benefits, the family tax benefit from all parents who refuse to immunize their children. So this is part of this growing movement in the Western world to push for universal immunizations. And we're seeing this in America too especially in some places like California. (Robert Morley, Trumpet Hour, November 27, 2015, 41-42 minutes.)

The reason the State of California is thinking of passing such legislation is that unfortunately some communities within California have low vaccine rates. No wonder the legislators are trying to be responsible and make everyone safer by making it harder for anti-vaxxers to put the rest of us in danger because of their unfounded (and often paranoid) views.

Because of the low vaccine rates in some California communities, SB 277 was proposed to eliminate personal belief exemptions – those easy-to-obtain waivers from the requirement to vaccinate your children before sending them to school.  I flew up to the Sacramento and testified on behalf of this bill in April. It has already passed through multiple committee hearings and is hopefully well on its way to passing and being signed by the California governor.  (Voices for Vaccines.)

Ex-WCG Member Shares Her Story

Because of HWA's promotion of anti-medicine superstitions many of those associated with Armstrongism have personally witnessed and experienced what happens when medicines are not used. Here is one such story from a woman who was born into WCG.

My parents were brought up listening to the radio broadcasts and reading the literature of the Worldwide Church of God, a cult/fringe religion that was developed from a mishmash of Seventh Day Adventist doctrine, revived Old Testament traditions, and prophecies/conspiracy theories about what happened to the Israelites and when Armageddon would rain down on Earth. Though my parents say they were “chosen” as church members, I can’t ignore the early influence of The Church (as we called it) in their choice of religion. My parents had strange, unhappy childhoods, and I think The Church gave them a sense of community and belonging; they were part of a select few who had “seen the light” and were special to God. 

Read the rest at: I Grew Up in an Anti-Vaccine Cult, Voices for Vaccines, March 2015.

The Truth

These anti-vaxxer ideas are very dangerous. Here is one incident of a six month old baby too young to be immunized getting measles because of a couple of parents chose not to vaccinate their child.

It started January 2, when the Simons took Livia, who had a cold, to the pediatrician. Two days later, the doctor’s office called to say that a child with measles had been in the office that same day.
The Simons feared the worst.
One of the most contagious viruses on Earth, measles can hang in the air or on surfaces for hours. If she’d contracted the disease, Livia could become deaf or even die.
“We were really freaking out and really worried,” Jennifer Simon said.
Then the Simons learned from a doctor that the child in the doctor’s office had contracted measles because his parents had refused vaccination.
Livia, just 6 months old, is too young to be vaccinated.
“I’m angry,” Simon said. “I’ve been upset that someone else’s personal choice has impacted us so much.” ...
Simon said she hopes families who opt not to immunize their children realize the full impact of their decision.
“Their choice endangered my child,” she said. (CNN, January 28, 2015.)

It is not a personal choice when the rest of us have to suffer because of these exaggerated fear of vaccines. This six month old baby was forced to have measles because some chose not to vaccinate.

Here is another incident of a four month old baby who was got infected with measles during the Disneyland outbreak which was started with a child that had not been vaccinated. This is what anti-vaxxer ideas really do.

Earlier this year my 4-month-old son Mobius was part of the Disneyland measles outbreak. It’s been a stressful ordeal, but he’s been recovering beautifully. He had some complications with his eyes, but my bouncing 9-month-old is doing wonderfully! ...

I’m still really concerned over the risk of subacute sclerosing pan encephalitis (SSPE), which is something I won’t feel entirely safe from until he’s 15-years-old. The fact that I won’t be able to shake that fear for more than a decade infuriates me. (Voices for Vaccines.)

How sad it is that this mother has to worry about this because some parents chose not to vaccinate their children.

Here is one testimony from a mother who is particularly vulnerable to the problems caused by the rise of the anti-vaxxer movement because her child is unable take vaccines due to a heart transplant. 

Measles is running rampant in California. It’s all over the news—and not just local news, national news as well. As a parent of an immunocompromised child, I had, of course, been concerned. But, since I do not live in California, nor do I plan to visit there any time soon, I thought I was safe (though, I was still very upset for friends I have who live near there).

But then I read that there is a case of measles in my state,  Illinois.* Now, I am very worried. You see, my son Ben had a heart transplant three years ago. Due to his heart transplant he is on 2 immunosuppressants so that he does not reject his heart. Because of these immunosuppressants, he not only cannot fight off measles as well as his healthy older sisters, but he also cannot receive the MMR vaccine. In fact, he is unable to receive any live vaccines. So, he relies on herd immunity.

In the year 2000, measles was almost gone in the US. There were only 86 cases that year–a record low. It would have seemed that we could rest easy thinking that we would not have to see this disease anymore. But then, as of last year, there were 644 cases of measles in the US–a 20 year high. It is 2015 now and we have already seen 71 cases in California alone, and now this one in Illinois. (Voices for Vaccines.)

How sad it is that people in this situation are fearful and afraid because some choose not to vaccinate their children. Such people are right to be afraid.

Considering these facts how dare PCG's leaders continue to promote HWA's deadly anti-medicine superstition as may be seen in the following posts.

MUST READ: Is Gerald Flurry Praising Deaths by Medical Neglect? PCG's shameful promotion of anti-medicine superstitions.

PCG's Joel Hilliker Promoting HWA's Deadly Anti-Medicine Superstition. PCG's Joel Hilliker has also promoted anti-medicine superstitions.

PCG's Robert Morley Promoting HWA's Anti-Medicine Superstition. It is not just Gerald Flurry who says such things.

The truth is vaccines are effective. We need to be responsible and get vaccinated and get our children vaccinated.

An overwhelming number of studies — along with the observable reality of our modern world — demonstrate that vaccination works, either wiping out or seriously curbing diseases that once killed or infected millions like Diphtheria, H. Influenza, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps, Pertussis, Phnemococcal Disease, Polio, Pubella, Congenital Rubella, Smallpox, Tetanus and Varicella — among other diseases — with new vaccines against even HIV nearing reality. ...

The truth is, vaccination is effective, resulting in fewer unnecessary deaths and increased average life expectancy, while the risks and side-effects are rare and well-understood by doctors and researchers, the very tangible benefits vastly outweighing the risks. (Silenced.)

Let us be responsible. Get vaccinated. Get our children vaccinated.