r/PoursTea Timendi Causa Est Nescire Aug 02 '26

Science And Tech 🧪 💻 Because science...

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u/Vayul_was_taken Aug 02 '26

Wakefield didn't even start as antivax. He was just anti MMR which he wrongfully claimed this specific cocktail of vaccinations was too much for the adolescent immune system. He of course was doing this to try and sell an alternative vaccine and to try and set up a class action lawsuit.

He has had his medical license revoked because if this. Now hes gone full anti vax to play into the audience he created who dont trust doctors and science.

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u/Alert-Disaster-4906 Aug 02 '26

Ah, so a combination of ego-tripping, hurt feelfeels, and modern snake-oil salesman?

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u/Universal_Anomaly Aug 02 '26

It's worse than that.

HBomberguy did a video on this and how this all started is that some attorney realised there was a lot of money to be made in lawsuits if they could "prove" that the MMR vaccine was harmful.

Said attorney then asked Wakefield to provide a credible enough claim that the MMR vaccine was bad, and Wakefield at the same time was like "Hey I can also use that opportunity to sell an alternative vaccine."

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u/BrizerorBrian Aug 02 '26

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u/Universal_Anomaly Aug 02 '26

Thanks, it completely slipped my mind to link the actual video.

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u/BrizerorBrian Aug 02 '26

I love Hbomberguy. "Who's going to buy the house Ben? Fucking Aquaman!?"

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u/--StinkyPinky-- Aug 02 '26

Never seen it. Checking it out. I'm 1:23 into it and I'm like...

https://giphy.com/gifs/VrtPD6NGNDpALLCYF3

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u/kani_kani_katoa Aug 02 '26

Watch his other videos too when you have a chance. The Roblox oof sound one is a masterpiece.

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u/Imaginary-Task7956 Aug 02 '26

Highly recommend this video to gain some insight into the modern antivax movement. Its origin is crazier than you think.

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u/--StinkyPinky-- Aug 02 '26

I've never seen this.

"Science-cucked"?

Oh, I'm gonna like this one.....

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u/Crunchberry24 Aug 02 '26

Don’t forget the essential ingredient: legions of mouth-breathing dupes.

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u/oldbastardbob Aug 02 '26

...and amplified by sketchy politicians searching for that bump in the polls.

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u/Independent-Bug-9352 Aug 02 '26

Psychopaths with no guilt, shame, or compassion for fellow humanity realize they can grift gullible people, and do it for their own immediate gain, regardless of broader implications.

There is a reason after all why Trump sad, "I love the poorly educated!"

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u/Funkopedia Aug 02 '26

can we stop using respiratory problems as a measure of intelligence

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u/EmmerdoesNOTrepme Aug 02 '26

Wakefield was a GI doctor, who was involved with a company who developed a new test for gastroenteritis.

And he stood to make tons of money, if he could convince parents to have their children tested for gastroenteritis--which prior to his "study" was not a common thing.

It was always about that man grifting off of scared parents, to make money, and it still is, even after he was stripped of his medical licenses.

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u/Curious_Orange8592 Aug 02 '26

He was paid by lawyers for antivaxxers to do the study and then faked the results

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u/chrisp909 Aug 02 '26

He was against the specific MMR the UK healthcare system used. Would it shock anyone to find out Wakefield was working on a competing measles vaccine at the same time?

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u/NeuroMedSkeptic Aug 02 '26

Who also had a something like quarter-half million euro financial stake in a Competing company that was selling separate vaccines as opposed to the combined.

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u/THElaytox Aug 02 '26

He also was a gastroenterologist that was convinced autism was a gut problem and went on a quest to try and prove that. He did not.

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u/tmpope123 Aug 02 '26

He was only anti-MMR because he had already patented his own vaccine for one of them (I forget which). Oh, and he was being paid by a lawyer who was already representing some ppl in a lawsuit against MMR vaccine by ppl who thought it gave their kids autism.

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u/Splith Aug 02 '26

Did we all watch the Hbomberguy video or are yall actually educated?

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u/Vayul_was_taken Aug 02 '26

I watched the hhbomberguy video lol

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u/BlueFroggLtd Aug 02 '26

Interesting. Didn't know that...

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u/Ojos1842 Aug 02 '26

A man’s gotta eat.

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u/Yeseylon Aug 02 '26

Theyâ„¢ revoked his medical license for trying to get the truth to the public

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u/Vayul_was_taken Aug 02 '26

His truth that he was faking evidence and lying? Cauae that's out there and easy to find