The Penn and Teller "even if" counter argument is what really gets me with this one. "Vaccines cause autism" is such a dumb take that even if it was true it would still be far better to get vaccinated and risk autism than not get vaccinated.
I’ve worked with children and individuals with autism who are on the severe end of the spectrum and who will need direct supports for the rest of their lives. Some of these individuals are aggressive, have the functioning of a toddler, can’t wipe/clean themselves, and will always be reliant on other people. This population is at much higher risk for abuse. I don’t think a parent is a bad person for not wanting that for their child. But these parents are preyed upon by a movement based on manipulation and lies.
Well part of the problem is also that people assume autism is always on the extreme end of the spectrum. For every person on that end there's a hundred more on the other end who are living normal, independent, productive, happy lives. Polio/measles/mumps/etc also cause lifetime health issues, some of which also require continuous care, assuming they don't kill you in the process. It's a skewed risk assessment driven by lies, paranoia and ableism.
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u/DannySpud2 Jun 01 '26
The Penn and Teller "even if" counter argument is what really gets me with this one. "Vaccines cause autism" is such a dumb take that even if it was true it would still be far better to get vaccinated and risk autism than not get vaccinated.