Anti-vaccine Propaganda about Skyrocketing Chronic Diseases

Are we sicker than ever before?

Another cornerstone argument of the anti-vaccine movement is that we are all sicker than we have ever been before in the history of the world.

It is not only a gross exaggeration, saying that we are sicker than ever before is pure propaganda.

Why do they want you to believe that?

Mostly, it is because they want you to think that vaccines are making us all sick.

Of course, they always conveniently leave out the part that folks who are fully vaccinated are now no longer getting measles, diphtheria, tetanus, and other now vaccine preventable diseases. And we are also no longer suffering from the complications of these diseases and we aren’t dying from them either!

Oh, and there is the fact that vaccines do not cause any of the things that they think have skyrocketed, from autism and asthma to food allergies and diabetes.

Anti-vaccine Propaganda about Skyrocketing Chronic Diseases

But are we sicker than ever before?

Well, let’s take Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s quiz and find out!

What does autism have to do with type II diabetes, obesity, and drug overdoses?

To make his case that we are sicker, Kennedy makes the strange choice of using conditions like obesity, type II diabetes, and drug overdoses, which are typically characterized as lifestyle diseases.

And autism…

“The current generation is the sickest in American history. When John F. Kennedy was president, only 6% of American kids had a chronic health condition. Today that number is nearly 60%...a 10x increase! Rates of autoimmune disease, diabetes, ADD and ADHD, autism, obesity, asthma, food allergies, and other chronic health conditions have skyrocketed over recent decades.”

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr

He also pushes the statistic that nearly 60% of kids have a chronic health condition.

A statistic that comes from a study that said that “An estimated 43% of US children (32 million) currently have at least 1 of 20 chronic health conditions assessed, increasing to 54.1% when overweight, obesity, or being at risk for developmental delays are included.”

Did you know that rates of asthma in children are at historic lows?

A study that also said that nearly 90% of today’s parents would describe their children’s health as excellent or very good!

Jennifer Margulis is not a medical doctor… And as a medical doctor, I must say that this kind of propaganda is dangerous, as it distracts from real issues, like the rise in mental health prolbems in children, including anxiety and depression. And it scares people away from getting vaccinated and protected - triggering outbreaks.

Today’s kids could definately get more exercise, spend less time on screens, and learn to eat healthier foods, but it is ridiculous to say that they are the unhealthiest generation, as anti-vaccine influencers often do.

#StopAntiVaccinePropaganda

References

National Center for Health Statistics. Percentage of ever having asthma for children under age 18 years, United States, 2019—2023. National Health Interview Survey. Generated interactively: Aug 14 2024 from https://wwwn.cdc.gov/NHISDataQueryTool/SHS_child/index.html