Will you take the vaccine for Covid-19?

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-judge-blocks-biden-federal-employee-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-2022-01-21/

A judge in Texas ruled on Friday that President Joe Biden could not require federal employees to be vaccinated against the coronavirus and blocked the U.S. government from disciplining employees who failed to comply.

It was the latest setback to White House efforts to require various groups of American workers to get vaccinated.

Biden had issued an order requiring about 3.5 million government workers to get vaccinated by Nov. 22 barring a religious or medical accommodation -- or else face discipline or firing.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown said the question was whether Biden could "require millions of federal employees to undergo a medical procedure as a condition of their employment. That, under the current state of the law as just recently expressed by the Supreme Court, is a bridge too far."

Brown, based in Galveston and appointed by then-President Donald Trump, said the government could protect public health with less invasive measures, such as masking and social distancing.

The judge's ruling is the latest in a series of court decisions to go against government vaccine requirements.

The White House said more than 93% of federal employees have received at least one vaccination and 98% have been vaccinated or are seeking a religious or medical exemption.

"We are confident in our legal authority," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in response to the judge's ruling.

The Justice Department on Friday said it would appeal the ruling. The government has noted numerous other courts that had rejected similar challenges and that federal agencies have said they will not discipline or punish employees with pending exemption requests.

The judge said it was his understanding that the government was going to be begin disciplining non-compliant employees imminently. The White House said this month it wanted federal agencies to begin mandating regular COVID-19 tests weekly by Feb. 15.

Brian Fouche, a survey statistician with the Department of Commerce with 16 years government experience, was told in a Jan. 19 letter that he would be suspended for 14 days beginning Jan. 30 because he refused to disclose his vaccination status, according to court documents.

The letter from the U.S. Census Bureau informed Fouche that his "misconduct is very serious and will not be tolerated," according to a copy of the letter in court records. The letter said failure to comply with the vaccine requirements could lead to his dismissal.

The order covers federal workers in the executive branch -- but did not apply to postal workers or legislative or judicial employees.

In mid-January, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the president's COVID-19 vaccination-or-testing mandate for large businesses, a policy conservative justices deemed an improper imposition on the lives and health of many Americans. The court allowed a separate federal vaccine requirement for healthcare facilities.

A third major vaccine requirement aimed at employees of federal contractors like airlines and manufacturers was blocked by a federal judge in December.

COVID-19 has killed more than 860,000 people in the United States in the two-year-long pandemic and has weighed heavily on the economy.

Many large employers such as United Airlines and Tyson Foods Inc have touted their success in using mandates to get nearly all staff vaccinated. The Supreme Court ruling that blocked the mandate for larger businesses prompted some employers, including Starbucks, to abandon vaccine requirements for staff.

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich praised the ruling Friday, vowing to continue "to fight to protect your liberties."

 

[Technics 1210]

Biden is once again humiliated only this time by SCOTUS; Oh. The. Shame.

Not only has the international community bailed on Biden but so too the highest court in the USA. A sad and pathetic indictment of Biden’s presidency. An abject failure who was propelled into Presidency because the Liberals and Democrats wouldn’t accept Trump as a legitimate winner in 2016. You reap what you sow.

Well folks, now Amreeka is even more divided, and everything is set for Trump to return.

Covid Shovid; liberalism and MSM have destroyed more lives in Amreeka than an over exaggerated virus!

 

[Markhor]

One last point about the 17000 Covid deaths thing. It's impossible (nor a productive use of time) to debunk every myth emanating from the University of WhatsApp and Instagram.

The guy requesting the FOI specifically asked for patients where only Covid was listed on the death certificate. It excluded patients without underlying conditions. But death certificates list other contributory causes:



Now a third of the population have hypertension, two thirds are overweight or obese, millions have respiratory disease. UK has one of the highest elderly populations in Europe. So you're omitting a large chunk of pandemic deaths by excluding this category. Are the pandemic denialists saying those with underlying conditions are disposable ?

It's fairly obvious one can die both from and with Covid.

 

[Technics 1210]

17000 figure is from ONS after FOI request.

Please do keep up.

 

[James]

<b>https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-60132765</b>

<I>Unvaccinated man denied heart transplant by Boston hospital</I>

A US hospital has rejected a patient for a heart transplant at least in part because he is not vaccinated against Covid-19.

DJ Ferguson, 31, is in dire need of a new heart, but Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston took him off their list, said his father, David.

He said the Covid vaccine goes against his son's "basic principles, he doesn't believe in it".

The hospital said it was following policy.

Brigham and Women's Hospital told the BBC in a statement: "Given the shortage of available organs, we do everything we can to ensure that a patient who receives a transplanted organ has the greatest chance of survival."

A spokesman said the hospital requires "the Covid-19 vaccine, and lifestyle behaviours for transplant candidates to create both the best chance for a successful operation and to optimise the patient's survival after transplantation, given that their immune system is drastically suppressed".

The hospital's carefully worded statement may suggest other factors lie beyond the patient's unvaccinated status for his ineligibility, but it refused to discuss specifics, citing patient privacy.

The hospital added that most of the 100,000 people on waitlists for organ transplants will not receive an organ within five years because of the shortage of available organs.

Mr Ferguson has been in hospital since last Thanksgiving weekend, 26 November 2021, and he suffers from a hereditary heart issue that causes his lungs to fill with blood and fluid, according to a GoFundMe.

The organiser of the fundraiser said Mr Ferguson was concerned he could experience cardiac inflammation - a potential side effect from coronavirus vaccination that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) emphasises is rare and temporary - and that it might prove dangerous given the weakness of his heart.

The CDC encourages transplant recipients and those in their immediate circles to get fully vaccinated and boosted.

Dr Arthur Caplan, head of medical ethics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, told CBS News that after any organ transplant a patient's immune system is all but shut down and even a common cold can prove fatal.

"The organs are scarce, we are not going to distribute them to someone who has a poor chance of living when others who are vaccinated have a better chance post-surgery of surviving," said Dr Caplan.

A father-of-two with a third child on the way, Mr Ferguson remains at the hospital, said his loved ones.

His family has suggested he is too weak to be transferred to a different hospital and is "running out of time".

"My boy is fighting pretty damn courageously and he has integrity and principles he really believes in and that makes me respect him all the more," said David Ferguson.

"It's his body. It's his choice."

It is not the first time an unvaccinated American has faced healthcare obstacles in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, a Minnesota woman sued her local hospital after doctors tried to take her unvaccinated husband off the ventilator he had been on for two months.

Just over 63% of the US population is double-jabbed and about 40% of Americans have received a third booster dose.

 

[Robert]

One last point about the 17000 Covid deaths thing. It's impossible (nor a productive use of time) to debunk every myth emanating from the University of WhatsApp and Instagram.

The guy requesting the FOI specifically asked for patients where only Covid was listed on the death certificate. It excluded patients without underlying conditions. But death certificates list other contributory causes:

View attachment 114369

Now a third of the population have hypertension, two thirds are overweight or obese, millions have respiratory disease. UK has one of the highest elderly populations in Europe. So you're omitting a large chunk of pandemic deaths by excluding this category. Are the pandemic denialists saying those with underlying conditions are disposable ?

It's fairly obvious one can die both from and with Covid.

People don’t often die of one thing, there will usually be multiple causes, but most of the 154K people would likely have survived for longer otherwise.

 

[Stewie]

50 for and 8 against in the poll at the time of writing this post.

Regardless of the vocal few people here, I am glad to see a VAST majority of people here are more reasonable and smarter than your average conspiracy theory loving schmucks and did their due diligence in protecting themselves and their loved ones. Two thumbs up!

 

[Markhor]

People don’t often die of one thing, there will usually be multiple causes, but most of the 154K people would likely have survived for longer otherwise.

Indeed. Here's a useful graph from Sheffield's own Colin Angus who explains it well.



Look people can believe what's more credible - the reputable sources I've quoted in my last few posts (I've provided links so they can read further).

Or believe YouTube grifters like Dr McCullogh (a cardiologist with no background in immunology/virology) who spreads misinformation (from denying asymptomatic tranmission to claiming U50s don't need vaccination) for a few mins of fame. I'm out.

 

[Technics 1210]

Glad the are medic professionals are finally conceding to the fact that, dying of and dying from, are two totally different things cos these lot were telling us it was the same for the past 2 years.

Give it time, they will soon admit the incorrect cause of death was stated on death certificates too.

 

[KingKhanWC]

You mean “doctors”. “Pro-vax doctors” is a tautology.

AstraZenica has something like 1/180,000 chance of causing a blood clot. Which is of course treatable with Warfarin.

Not all doctors are for the vaccines, only on BBC and CNN.

we have no idea of the long term damage not just imflamation of the heart but for numerous other conditions.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Glad the are medic professionals are finally conceding to the fact that, dying of and dying from, are two totally different things cos these lot were telling us it was the same for the past 2 years.

Give it time, they will soon admit the incorrect cause of death was stated on death certificates too.

Even Sajid Javid chose his words carefully on an interview. He said something like those who have died and tested positive for Covid. It doesnt mean Covid was the main cause. It would be similar to suggesting a man died of a cold if he had a heart attack while having the cold.

Besides there is no argument left for vaccines, natural immunity could last for years while vax protection is a few months. There is no pro vax doctor who can now deny this, which is why they will not address this most important point regarding vaccines.

 

[Technics 1210]

Even Sajid Javid chose his words carefully on an interview. He said something like those who have died and tested positive for Covid. It doesnt mean Covid was the main cause. It would be similar to suggesting a man died of a cold if he had a heart attack while having the cold.

Besides there is no argument left for vaccines, natural immunity could last for years while vax protection is a few months. There is no pro vax doctor who can now deny this, which is why they will not address this most important point regarding vaccines.

The hoax is being exposed. In the meantime doctors and pharmacologists, who are paid to prescribe, are trying to cover their woeful conspiracy tracks.

All their pretty graphs and ting may convince the 'dumb and educated' voters, but reality is the medics have been exposed.

Whats worse is they have paid heed to a non medic - Sajid Javid - to bolster their cause. Javid who is not a professional medic has more trust from these medic morons yet fail to address the facts of the common man.

Vaccines have proven to be a failure yet you have the likes of Markhor/Robert who criticise the Toey government day in day out yet accept their covid playbook nonsense? Hypocrite and selfish to the max. Money in the pocket is all that matters even if through a dodgy prescription; irrespective of government.

All rigged.

 

[Technics 1210]

Not all doctors are for the vaccines, only on BBC and CNN.

we have no idea of the long term damage not just imflamation of the heart but for numerous other conditions.

No irony. The biggest critics of the Tory government are now the biggest supporters of Tory numbers when it comes to covid.

Hypocrites and selfish to the max!

 

[James]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-60245736

<b>Novavax Covid jab approved by UK drugs regulator</b>

The UK has approved a fifth Covid-19 vaccine, developed by US company Novavax, which offers up to 89% protection against Covid illness.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has said it is safe as a first and second dose in adults.

Millions of doses are being manufactured at a plant on Teesside.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid says independent scientists on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation will now consider its use.

The vaccine could then be used immediately as part of the UK vaccination programme.

"It's a testament to the country's first-rate research and development capabilities for vaccines," Mr Javid said, "with tens of thousands of people taking part in clinical trials here in the UK, contributing to the invaluable research that shows our vaccines are safe and effective."

Novavax said it still sees a role for the jab in reaching the 16% of over-12s in the UK who have not yet had two doses.
It plans to apply for extra authorisation for use in children "in the next few weeks", and to submit data for use as a booster jab, either immediately or as a possible fourth dose this autumn.

The Novavax product - known by the brand name Nuvaxovid - was shown to be 89% effective against catching symptomatic Covid-19 in clinical trials.
The original research was conducted against both the earlier Wuhan and Alpha variants of the virus.

In December, Novavax said two doses were also effective in generating an immune response against the now dominant Omicron variant, first identified in South Africa.
The company has also started working on a version specific to Omicron.

 

[MenInG]

Triple-jabbed Britons '93% less likely to die from COVID than unvaccinated' - ONS

Britons who have had booster jabs are 93.4% less likely to die from COVID-19 than those who are unvaccinated, the Office for National Statistics has suggested.

The ONS calculated the age-adjusted risk of death in the period from July to December 2021 by comparing those who had boosters at least 21 days ago and those who have not had a jab.

The risk was 81.2% lower for people who had received their second dose 21 days ago.

The ONS said monthly death rates from COVID-19 have been "consistently lower for all months" since boosters were introduced in September 2021.

 

[Robert]

Not all doctors are for the vaccines, only on BBC and CNN.

we have no idea of the long term damage not just imflamation of the heart but for numerous other conditions.

I’m sure a very small percentage disagree with the medical consensus but that’s the same for climate change too. I’ll go with the vast majority of experts, not the few outliers.

 

[MenInG]

Triple-jabbed Britons '93% less likely to die from COVID than unvaccinated' - ONS

Britons who have had booster jabs are 93.4% less likely to die from COVID-19 than those who are unvaccinated, the Office for National Statistics has suggested.

The ONS calculated the age-adjusted risk of death in the period from July to December 2021 by comparing those who had boosters at least 21 days ago and those who have not had a jab.

The risk was 81.2% lower for people who had received their second dose 21 days ago.

The ONS said monthly death rates from COVID-19 have been "consistently lower for all months" since boosters were introduced in September 2021.

I was told this by a doc friend of mine treating Covid patients in the NHS - he told me when people come in gasping for breath and they are told its not looking good, first question they ask is can we get vaccinated. Invariably, he told me, we pause for a few seconds to let it sink in - "no it wont make a difference now, no you cannot take the vaccine" and then they stare in abyss.

My only concern prayer after reading some of the opinions above is that may Allah keep safe you and your loved ones and not let them suffer due to your own misguided/prejudiced minds - Ameen.

 

[Stewie]

I was told this by a doc friend of mine treating Covid patients in the NHS - he told me when people come in gasping for breath and they are told its not looking good, first question they ask is can we get vaccinated. Invariably, he told me, we pause for a few seconds to let it sink in - "no it wont make a difference now, no you cannot take the vaccine" and then they stare in abyss.

My only concern prayer after reading some of the opinions above is that may Allah keep safe you and your loved ones and not let them suffer due to your own misguided/prejudiced minds - Ameen.

I come from a family of doctors in the US/UK and I keep hearing similar stories from them all the time. It is so painful to even hear how these misguided poor people come in and facing great suffering and death when they could easily stack the odds in favor of their survival.

I am not in healthcare so I am glad I dont have to deal with the pain and pressure of facing such situations and telling your patients the hard truths. It takes a toll, believe me.

I know some of you will think its cruel of me, but I will still say this is all about the survival of the fittest. Some people are not physically or mentally fit enough to ride out this pandemic, whether its man made or not. They will continue to live free and die stupid unfortunately.

 

[KingKhanWC]

I was told this by a doc friend of mine treating Covid patients in the NHS - he told me when people come in gasping for breath and they are told its not looking good, first question they ask is can we get vaccinated. Invariably, he told me, we pause for a few seconds to let it sink in - "no it wont make a difference now, no you cannot take the vaccine" and then they stare in abyss.

My only concern prayer after reading some of the opinions above is that may Allah keep safe you and your loved ones and not let them suffer due to your own misguided/prejudiced minds - Ameen.

This is your personal experience.

It doesnt mean young and healthy people are dying of covid who are not vaccinated, never did and never will.

My personal experience is in the UK thousands of doctors refuse the vaccine. Many have reported young adults being admitted due to vaccine damage, mainly inflamattion of of the heart.

If you're old, weak it is prob worth it, otherwise its a waste of time and huge risk.

The biggest stupidity I see is children whose death rates for Covid are less than 1% being jabbed, even from babies in some parts of the world.

 

[Robert]

If you're old, weak it is prob worth it, otherwise its a waste of time and huge risk.

The biggest stupidity I see is children whose death rates for Covid are less than 1% being jabbed, even from babies in some parts of the world.

What you call huge risk is extremely low risk, like struck-by-lightning risk.

Plenty of fit and healthy younger people have died too. I know two strong adults who were hospitalised, though neither were intubated fortunately for them, and another who has been unable to work for six months with Long COVID. That has put his livelihood at “huge risk”.

What you call stupid about vaccinating kids is wise when you consider that infected kids will infect others who are vulnerable. The purpose of mass vaccination is to give the virus nowhere to go.

 

[Robert]

Watched a documentary about why Black people are vaccine-hesitant. Very interesting. All to do with distrust of the white biomedical establishment. They recall the time when Black GIs were deliberately infected with gonorrhoea, and when the French doctor said “Let’s test the vaccine on the Africans first”.

 

[MenInG]

This is your personal experience.

It doesnt mean young and healthy people are dying of covid who are not vaccinated, never did and never will.

My personal experience is in the UK thousands of doctors refuse the vaccine. Many have reported young adults being admitted due to vaccine damage, mainly inflamattion of of the heart.

If you're old, weak it is prob worth it, otherwise its a waste of time and huge risk.

The biggest stupidity I see is children whose death rates for Covid are less than 1% being jabbed, even from babies in some parts of the world.

Seems a wild exaggeration.

I am very much aware of NHS issues and not heard "thousands" having refused vaccines.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Seems a wild exaggeration.

I am very much aware of NHS issues and not heard "thousands" having refused vaccines.

Im sorry to say but you are clearly not aware. Not sure where you get your information from not living in the UK.

40% of Ashford and St Peter's doctors not fully vaccinated as Government makes it compulsory

Latest NHS data, up to September 1, shows that 1,124 employees within the Ashford and St Peter's Hospital Trust have not yet been double jabbed.

Staggeringly, 40% of the 847 doctors there have not completed their vaccination status.

https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/40-ashford-st-peters-doctors-22147795

This is just one, nearly a thousand.

I remember MIG you stated I was lying people were dying of blood clots early on this thread, which I hope you know accept is true. I dont make stories up, they are based on reports or facts.

 

[khan-92]

Im sorry to say but you are clearly not aware. Not sure where you get your information from not living in the UK.



https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/40-ashford-st-peters-doctors-22147795

This is just one, nearly a thousand.

I remember MIG you stated I was lying people were dying of blood clots early on this thread, which I hope you know accept is true. I dont make stories up, they are based on reports or facts.

even mainstream Doctors who advocated vaccine are sounding alarm bells regarding the adverse effects.
So many people having heart issues & dying they are young people not old.
And we seen the athletes who had side effects from these vaccines.
Everyone has to look at the data from Israel which has 80% of serious covid cases in the vaccinated.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/321674

And we know what happens in Israel after few months will happen in UK & USA.

 

[James]

An additional booster dose will be offered to all adults over-75 and the most vulnerable over-12s in the UK this spring.

The UK's vaccines advisers said an extra dose would help top up their protection against severe Covid-19.

Many of the oldest received their latest shot back in the autumn and immunity may now be waning, it said.

An autumn booster programme, aimed at a wider group of people, is also planned later this year.

Up until now, only people with severely weakened immune systems had been eligible for a fourth dose - three doses plus a booster.


Those now being offered a second booster this spring, to be administered six months after their previous dose, are:

— adults aged 75 years and over
— residents in a care home for older adults
— individuals aged 12 years and over who are immunosuppressed, or have weakened immune systems

Adults will be offered a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, while children aged 12-18 will receive Pfizer.

Around 7.2 million people in the UK aged over 75, who have already had their primary course of Covid vaccines, will be eligible for the extra spring booster.

Another half a million people who are immunosuppressed, with diseases such as blood cancer or who've had an organ transplant or are receiving chemotherapy, can also have the additional booster.

 

[Stewie]

even mainstream Doctors who advocated vaccine are sounding alarm bells regarding the adverse effects.
So many people having heart issues & dying they are young people not old.
And we seen the athletes who had side effects from these vaccines.
Everyone has to look at the data from Israel which has 80% of serious covid cases in the vaccinated.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/321674

And we know what happens in Israel after few months will happen in UK & USA.

The news piece doesnt anywhere talk about side effects from vaccines. It doesnt even mention which vaccine was used. It also does not provide any detailed analysis of what is the rreason behind why their vaccine did not prevent these severe cases.

Much of what you wrote in your post is basically nothing but conjecture and your personal opinion and you tried to portray as if you the link you shared backs up all your so called conclusions. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Try again, I am sure you will succeed in convincing a few idiots with your disinformation campaign.

 

[James]

<b>Covid: Austria suspends compulsory vaccination mandate</b>

Austria has decided to suspend its mandate for compulsory Covid-19 vaccinations for over-18s, days before it was due to start enforcing it.

It was the first EU country to adopt the measure.

The government now says it considers it disproportionate to the threat posed by the Omicron variant.

Health Minister Johannes Rauch said the decision would be reviewed again in three months, and could be reintroduced if a new variant made it necessary.

It comes as nearly 48,000 new infections were announced in Austria, more than at any time since the pandemic began.

More than 2,500 people are being treated in normal hospital wards and 182 in intensive care, but the Omicron variant has not led to a surge in admissions as feared.

Austria first introduced the law on 16 February but promised not to enforce it for a month.

The plan was then to start fining those who were unable to produce proof of vaccination when asked.

But Constitutional Affairs Minister Karoline Edtstadler said a commission of health and legal experts had recommended a suspension.

"There are many convincing arguments at the moment that this infringement of fundamental rights is not justified," she said.

The mandate was introduced partly because of Austria's relatively low vaccination rate - 70% of Austria's 8.9 million people are double-vaccinated and 54% have also had a booster.

Like other European countries, Austria has been removing restrictions for vaccinated people.

Remaining restrictions, except for rules on masks, are expected to be lifted on 20 March.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60681288

 

[James]

^Good news.

Covid is done.

 

[Stewie]

Thats excellent news. I think the Omicron variant ended up as a boon for humanity and helped hasten its demise.

Hoping by this summer, we will be officially done with it and can move on with our lives.

 

[khan-92]

The news piece doesnt anywhere talk about side effects from vaccines. It doesnt even mention which vaccine was used. It also does not provide any detailed analysis of what is the rreason behind why their vaccine did not prevent these severe cases.

Much of what you wrote in your post is basically nothing but conjecture and your personal opinion and you tried to portray as if you the link you shared backs up all your so called conclusions. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Try again, I am sure you will succeed in convincing a few idiots with your disinformation campaign.

[https://youtu.be/7YOD9drZasM


https://www.reuters.com/legal/gover...asten-release-pfizer-vaccine-docs-2022-01-07/

Could this be the reason why covid restrictions being removed.
Data which pfizer tried to hide for 70 years is being exposed.

 

[KingKhanWC]

[https://youtu.be/7YOD9drZasM


https://www.reuters.com/legal/gover...asten-release-pfizer-vaccine-docs-2022-01-07/

Could this be the reason why covid restrictions being removed.
Data which pfizer tried to hide for 70 years is being exposed.

Also this.

An international team of researchers led by the University of Oregon conducted a BLAST search comparing the genome of SARS-CoV-2 with genome sequences within databases of other genomes. They identified a 19-nucleotide-long RNA sequence found in the virus’s furin cleavage site that matched a 19-nucleotide sequence in a genetic segment owned by Moderna. Moderna filed a patent for a 3,300-segment nucleotide sequence in February 2016 as part of its cancer research division. The research was published in Frontiers in Virology.

SARS-CoV-2 has approximately 30,000 nucleotides in its genome. Its amino acids have an 82.3% match with a bat coronavirus SL-CoVZC45. It also has a 77.2% amino acid match to SARS-CoV, the virus that causes SARS, and a 96.2% genome sequence match to another bat coronavirus, RaTG13.

https://www.biospace.com/article/ti...uestion-but-is-it-only-a-quirky-observation-/

Its been dismissed as a coinicidence, chances of this occuring is in the trillions.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Now the word is these vaccines will be given every 4 years(UK).

Clear to see it was a big fraud for big Pharma to make money off these vaccines.

If genuinley feel sorry for those who have suffered because of these vaccines, lowering their immunity compared to natural immunity.

 

[Stewie]

Lol, the anti vaxxers are absolutely hilarious.. I visit this threat for the latest conspiracy theories to spruce up my day. No matter how crap I feel, after reading some posts here I start feeling better. Happy that at least God gave me half a brain more than he did some here.

 

[BreadPakoda]

CDC recommending not to travel to 84% vaxxed NZ.

 

[James]

<b>Coronavirus: Spring booster offered to elderly and vulnerable in England</b>

Around 600,000 people in England will be invited to book an additional Covid booster this week, as the NHS launches its spring booster programme.

The jab is being offered to adults over the age of 75, care home residents and the most vulnerable over-12s.

About five million people in the UK will be eligible - with the first invites sent out from Monday.

It comes as Covid cases continue to rise across the UK, with an estimated one in every 20 people infected.

Last month the UK's vaccines advisers said an extra dose would help top up protection against severe Covid-19, with some immunity likely to be waning.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid urged people "to come forward as soon as you are contacted by the NHS".

Up until now, only people with severely weakened immune systems had been eligible to have four jabs - three doses plus a booster.

From Monday, a second booster - to be administered six months after the previous dose - will be offered to:
— adults aged 75 years and over
— residents in a care home for older adults
— individuals aged 12 years and over who are immunosuppressed or have weakened immune systems

Local NHS teams will also offer vaccinations in care homes - with hundreds of visits planned in the coming weeks.

Scotland and Wales have already launched their spring booster programmes - under the same terms.

In Northern Ireland, the Department of Health said it expects the spring booster vaccinations to be completed in April and May.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-60806913

 

[James]

Boosters, boosters, and more boosters!

 

[James]

<b>Covid booster: Will be offered to all over 50s this autumn</b>

Everyone aged 50 and over will be offered a Covid booster vaccine this autumn to top up their immunity and cut their risk of becoming severely ill.

Younger people at high risk from Covid, as well as health and social care staff, will also get the booster.

Drug companies have been developing updated vaccines to tackle newer variants, however, it is still uncertain which vaccine will be used.

The original plan meant healthy people aged 50-65 would not have been jabbed.

However, the immunisation campaign has been expanded as current variants are spreading quickly, it is uncertain how the virus will mutate and it is expected we will be more social this winter than in previous years so the virus will have more chance to spread.

The updated advice comes from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises governments in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

It says the booster should be offered to:
• health and social care staff
• everyone aged 50 and over
• unpaid carers who are over the age of 16
• people over five whose health puts them at greater risk; this includes pregnant women
• people over five who share a house with somebody with a weakened immune system

The details of the rollout have not been confirmed, however it is thought that immunisation will start with the oldest and most vulnerable from September.

For some people it will be their sixth dose of a Covid vaccine.

Prof Anthony Harnden, the deputy chairman of the JCVI, said:

"The Covid-19 boosters are highly effective at increasing immunity and, by offering a further dose to those at higher risk of severe illness this autumn, we hope to significantly reduce the risk of hospitalisations and deaths over the winter."

The current wave of Covid - caused by the sub-variants of Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 - demonstrates the speed the virus can spread.

It is the third wave of Omicron subvariants this year and one in 18 people in the UK are currently testing positive.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "Today we have confirmed the next phase in our booster programme to keep our defences strong over autumn and winter.

"Vaccines were our way out of this pandemic, and now they will make sure Covid can never haunt us in the same way again."

The flu vaccine in England will also be offered to all adults aged 50 and over, the usual high-risk groups and now to schoolchildren up to Year 9 in secondary school.

The Covid restrictions have meant we have barely had a flu season since the pandemic started.

However, the concern is this year could be the first time we face substantial waves of both viruses at the same time.

Dr Mary Ramsay, the head of immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency, said:

"Widening the eligibility for the flu vaccine will help reduce the number of people getting seriously ill and ease pressures on the NHS, particularly during the busy winter period."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-62183714

 

[Robert]

I will certainly take the COVID booster as soon as offered. Several friends have gone down with it of late. Feels like flu they say. I had the flu once and don’t want it ever again. Plus there is also the risk of life-changing Long COVID to consider.

 

[James]

I am actually eligible for this one because I am an unpaid carer for my Dad, but neither of us will be bothering this time I don’t think. Can only have so many boosters.

 

[Robert]

I am actually eligible for this one because I am an unpaid carer for my Dad, but neither of us will be bothering this time I don’t think. Can only have so many boosters.

Have a care [MENTION=1842]James[/MENTION]. Four friends of mine have been taken down by this thing for two weeks each right now, and the threat of long COVID debilitating you in brain and body is still there. I would take every booster going.

 

[Stewie]

BA.5 is here. Tired sick of this now but have to do what I have to do.

I got COVID a while back and thanks to the vaccine and booster, it was very mild. I almost would not have known hadnt it been for a bit of chills and runny nose that went away in a day.

I would still urge everyone to vaccinate, because even if it doesnt protect you 100%, it will likely save you from getting severely sick.

 

[Pakpak]

I am actually eligible for this one because I am an unpaid carer for my Dad, but neither of us will be bothering this time I don’t think. Can only have so many boosters.

Currently this wave has been fine mostly due to jabs. Have had a few deaths in my ward in patients who had no jabs and were overweight. But for the most part all the elderly were okay as all had jabs


I had covid as well as my ward is covid ward. I'm jabbed so wasn't too bad.

 

[Stewie]

Currently this wave has been fine mostly due to jabs. Have had a few deaths in my ward in patients who had no jabs and were overweight. But for the most part all the elderly were okay as all had jabs


I had covid as well as my ward is covid ward. I'm jabbed so wasn't too bad.

Some idiots here would still like you to believe vaccination does not help because vaccinated people are still catching it. God help such idiots but then again its the natural selection process with COVID. Time to weed out the idiots so only the smart will survive.

 

[KingKhanWC]

lol @ idiots still thinking the vaccine will save them. They prob still take these boosters and sit around their families thinking they have a super cape which will save them all and humanity.

Vaccines weaken your T-Cells as proven by science now, they don't last longer than weeks.

The fear is starting so big pharma can make more from the upcoming boosters.

 

[Technics 1210]

lol @ idiots still thinking the vaccine will save them. They prob still take these boosters and sit around their families thinking they have a super cape which will save them all and humanity.

Vaccines weaken your T-Cells as proven by science now, they don't last longer than weeks.

The fear is starting so big pharma can make more from the upcoming boosters.

Have you seen the pictures of UK beaches in the current heatwave? No one cares about Covid 19, other than MSM who have nothing to report on NATO losing the war against Russia, so now it is back to another scare mongering tactic, Covid 19.

When will these people learn?

 

[Stewie]

Some uneducated claims that need to be debunked:

Vaccines do not weaken T cells, they strengthen their response:

https://apnews.com/article/fact-checking-823830789386

CLAIM: A study from the Francis Crick Institute in London found that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine destroys a type of white blood cell called the T cell and weakens the immune system.

AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. The vaccine doesn’t destroy T cells or weaken the immune system. On the contrary, it generates a strong T cell response and boosts immunity, according to experts. A researcher at the Francis Crick Institute told The Associated Press the claim distorts his team’s work, which did not examine T cells.

THE FACTS: Articles that have amassed thousands of views across social media this week misrepresent a June study from Britain’s Francis Crick Institute, which looked at the ability of COVID-19 vaccines to produce neutralizing antibodies against viral variants.

The articles claim that the study shows the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine “destroys T cells” and “weakens the immune system.”

But that’s not at all what the research shows, according to the Francis Crick Institute’s Dr. David Bauer, one of the study’s authors.

“Our work to date has not studied T cells at all,” Bauer told the AP in an email. “All research published to date shows that the Pfizer (and other) vaccines generate a strong, positive, protective T-cell response against SARS-CoV-2.”

Outside experts confirmed that the COVID-19 vaccines don’t destroy or damage T cells.

“There’s a lot of data that shows that the vaccines induce strong T cell responses that recognize the virus and probably lead to protection,” said Dr. Joel Blankson, a professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine who has personally studied T cell responses to COVID-19 vaccines.

“There is no evidence that any SARS-CoV-2 vaccine destroys any pre-existing T cells, rather the truth is the opposite,” said Dr. Grant McFadden, director of the Biodesign Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines and Virotherapy at Arizona State University. “The vaccines all create new T cells that together with the antibodies all help to protect us from the COVID disease.”

The claim that the vaccines weaken the immune system is also false, Bauer confirmed. Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others shows the vaccines boost the immune response. The mRNA vaccines work by training the immune system to recognize the spike protein on the surface of the virus that causes COVID-19, allowing it to generate an immune response, experts say.

The Francis Crick Institute study examined how antibodies generated by COVID-19 vaccines are able to neutralize new strains of the virus. It found that levels of antibodies generated by the vaccine were six times lower against the delta variant than against the original strain of the coronavirus. However, the vaccine still produced more protective antibodies against the delta variant than exist in unvaccinated people who have not had COVID-19, since unvaccinated people do not have the antibodies.

Therefore, Bauer explained, getting the vaccine offers more protection against the delta variant than going without it.

__

This is part of AP’s effort to address widely shared misinformation, including work with outside companies and organizations to add factual context to misleading content that is circulating online. Learn more about fact-checking at AP.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Have you seen the pictures of UK beaches in the current heatwave? No one cares about Covid 19, other than MSM who have nothing to report on NATO losing the war against Russia, so now it is back to another scare mongering tactic, Covid 19.

When will these people learn?

They will only learn what CNN informs them.

It was written on this thread many pages ago, natural immunity is the best protection, it last longer and is more effective. Not to mention vaccines have killed people. I recall in the first few pages, I wrote people are dying from these vaccines, no matter how small the numbers and some Facui fan boy said I was lying lol.


The same people who support vaccines also deny Covid came from a lab, wear Ukranian blue & yellow pants to bed, have a BLM flag on their FB profile and think they are ruled by people who care about them in a just democracy. Easy to control daft people with fear.

 

[Stewie]

Epic thread fail when over 86% of votes belong to the opposing view. HAHA!

Lets try it from a different angle in a different thread with a different strategy, because the disinformation campaign is obviously not working.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Epic thread fail when over 86% of votes belong to the opposing view. HAHA!

Lets try it from a different angle in a different thread with a different strategy, because the disinformation campaign is obviously not working.

Im surprised you still have any self respect to even post on this thread after you bold prediction earlier those who are not vaccinated are risking their familly, only for you to realise vaccinated can pose this risk too.

Even with censorship, fearmongering , fake stories less people are taking boosters after vaccines.

I assume you still believe your American governments line Covid is a natural virus and didnt come from a lab?

 

[Stewie]

So far 50 people posted they will get the vaccine and only 8 that said they wont. I am sure the actual numbers are vastly different. Maybe you should try opening another poll

Did you grow horns or have Satanic urges after getting the COVID vaccination?

Have you changed your mind about the COVID Vaccine?

How is your 5G signal coming through?

Are you starting to deny the Earth is flat after getting the COVID vaccine?



Just pick any or come up with yours, although I doubt they would be any more creative. Kindly do so and keep us all entertained, dont think we have had enough of seeing egg on your face yet.

 

[in_cutter]

I have not taken the vaccine and nor do I intend to. Not because I believe in some crackpot theory but because I don’t want it.

 

[MenInG]

I hope and pray we all stay safe.

Ultimately whichever decision we take for us and family will be one we will have to live by.

I took decision to vaccine and suffered a bout of Covid and came out without a problem for which I feel vaccines had a lot to do- how I would have fared without them is something I am thankful I dont have to find out.

 

[KingKhanWC]

I hope and pray we all stay safe.

Ultimately whichever decision we take for us and family will be one we will have to live by.

I took decision to vaccine and suffered a bout of Covid and came out without a problem for which I feel vaccines had a lot to do- how I would have fared without them is something I am thankful I dont have to find out.

I hope the vaccine damage is not long term. Its actually pretty common but many feel embarrassed and dont share.

Injecting anything into your body should be contemplated carefully. Injecting a vaccine in emergency trials with no long term data is playing Russian roulette.

 

[Stewie]

https://www.unicef.org/montenegro/en/stories/vaccines-and-side-effects-no-long-term-harm-health

An excerpt directly from UNICEF:
Various conspiracy theories and myths about vaccines are circulating on the internet. We are interested in whether various allegations about the side effects and information about the long-term harmful effect of vaccines on the health of vaccinated citizens are true.

The information we often came across in the media and on social networks is:

The vaccine against coronavirus has negative side effects
We asked Dr. Marija Božović from the Public Health Institute of Montenegro (IJZCG) what the possible side effects are and whether they are common:

Studies done on vaccines’ side effects have shown that there are no serious side effects after vaccination. As for minor side effects after vaccination, these can be in the form of a localized effect such as pain, swelling or redness at the injection site and again some systemic effects in the form of a fever, then pain in the muscles and joints, nausea and fainting.

Dr. Marija Božović from the Public Health Institute of Montenegro
Dr. Božović points out that the appearance of these effects is not something to be concerned about, considering that human immunity is activated after vaccination and the organism produces antibodies.

These effects caused by vaccination last for a couple of hours and are thousands of times rarer than the negative effects that occur after coronavirus infection.

An answer to this question was also given by the World Health Organization:

“The reported side effects of COVID-19 vaccines were generally mild to moderate, and short-lived. These include: high temperature, tiredness, headache, muscle aches, fever, diarrhoea and injection site pain. The chances of any of these side effects after vaccination vary depending on the specific COVID-19 vaccine.”

We also asked experts at the Clinical Centre of Montenegro (KCCG) whether vaccines against COVID-19 can cause long-term health consequences. Dr. Djordje Krnjevic said:

Vaccines against COVID-19 cannot cause long-term consequences. These vaccines have undergone clinical trials which have shown precisely that the vaccine is not harmful to the human body.

Dr. Djordje Krnjevic from the Clinical Centre of Montenegro
For now, there is no study or research that has confirmed that the vaccines can have long-term negative effects on our health, Dr. Krnjevic told us.

The WHO, a reliable and expert source of information on the subject, claims that the vaccines are safe – which also means they do not cause any long-term, negative health effects.

“There are strict safeguards to ensure the safety of all COVID-19 vaccines. Before being validated by the WHO and national regulatory agencies, COVID-19 vaccines must undergo rigorous testing in clinical trials to demonstrate that they meet internationally agreed safety and efficacy measures.”

The WHO also states that vaccine safety monitoring is provided at the national, regional and global levels, and that this is common practice in all national immunization programmes.

As a conclusion to this research, we learned that minor side effects due to vaccination are possible, that they do not last long, do not affect human health in the long run and they are extremely rare. Vaccines are safe, their effectiveness is constantly being monitored, and there are no studies that have proven that they cause long-term, negative health consequences.

In an effort to contribute to preventing the dissemination of coronavirus misinformation and to promoting credible sources of information, UNICEF’s young reporters have decided to check the accuracy of information published on social media and in the media that has attracted public attention. In verifying the accuracy of information, they have followed the example of the Public Disclosure Platform “Raskrinkavanje“ and partly used its publicly available methodology.

 

[MenInG]

Post personal stuff and your posts will go missing.

Think carefully when posting here.

 

[MenInG]

Post personal stuff and your posts will go missing.

Think carefully when posting here.

.

 

[in_cutter]

If people want to take the vaccine, take it and stop preaching.

If people don’t want to take the vaccine , don’t take it and stop preaching.

 

[Technics 1210]

Here's the million dollar question, why is it the people who've taken the vaccine are on edge and absolutely bricking it? Hmmmmm

 

[KingKhanWC]

If people want to take the vaccine, take it and stop preaching.

If people don’t want to take the vaccine , don’t take it and stop preaching.

Yes this is very simple but you have some clowns telling others if they are not vaccinated they are putting their close ones or anyone who they are in contact with in danger.

You tell others there is no long term data, people are dying from it, they say you are lying.

I dont feel sorry for anyone who has suffered vaccine damage, it was a choice they made.

 

[Technics 1210]

The Voodoo WHO-doo.

Prodigy in da house!

 

[KingKhanWC]

To ALL those have taken the vaccine and boosters.

DO YOU REALLY believe this virus is natural because some Chinese chap ate a bat?

Or do you believe you've taken a vaccine for a lab created/enhanced virus via gain of function and been lied to by Fauci, WHO, CNN and your governments?

 

[Technics 1210]

If the vaccines were sound EU wouldn't have sued AZ! Let this sink in.

 

[Stewie]

The voting record is now 50:9 vaxxers. just wow,

looking at the posts in this thread, you would have thought it was the other way and the majority here were anti vaxxers.

They are certainly very active in pointless defense of their stance. The vaccines have saved lives of people and their loved ones and protected the elderly. You want to scoff at the idea, go right ahead. But I bet secretly you are vaccinated. Probably got two boosters too. Some posters here just like to complain and spread disinformation.

 

[Technics 1210]

You know desperation is kicking when one has to resort to a PP poll. )

 

[KingKhanWC]

The voting record is now 50:9 vaxxers. just wow,

looking at the posts in this thread, you would have thought it was the other way and the majority here were anti vaxxers.

They are certainly very active in pointless defense of their stance. The vaccines have saved lives of people and their loved ones and protected the elderly. You want to scoff at the idea, go right ahead. But I bet secretly you are vaccinated. Probably got two boosters too. Some posters here just like to complain and spread disinformation.

Voting record on PakPassion is now your argument ?

And your fantasy people are lying here , every Stewie , Dick and Harry have been boosted .

Shouldn't you be checking your diary so you can get your hair and make up done for the next booster?

 

[Stewie]

You know desperation is kicking when one has to resort to a PP poll. )

oh yeah how dare someone even argue with tangible evidence such as poll numbers instead of using pseudo science and conspiracy theories!

Just astonishing, isnt it?

 

[Technics 1210]

oh yeah how dare someone even argue with tangible evidence such as poll numbers instead of using pseudo science and conspiracy theories!

Just astonishing, isnt it?

59 PP members is tangible evidence?

Go get a refund mate.

 

[KingKhanWC]

You know desperation is kicking when one has to resort to a PP poll. )

I better add the names so when Wolf Blitzer interview him on CNN, he can prove the numbers too. )

es5084.75%
Abdul, ahmadharis1, ahsan17, ali_ed2006, ARK Rafay, Arsal_AK, Ashraful_Rox, avidlearner, Belawal2014, Caved12, ChTab, CricFan2012, cric_man, David Jackson, DeadlyVenom, ElRaja, Firebat, from_da_lost_dim3nsion, GenericBrand, Giannis, Gotham Cronie, Hitman, hoshiarpurexpress, IMMY69, IndoorCricket, James, jaspa888, kaayal, KillerBee, KoyoAli, Kriketer, Last Monetarist, leonidas_alexandar, Major, marlonbrowndo, MenInG, mmkextreme_1, moghul, PetroDollars, proud_pakistani, Robert, Runner Up, SangasCoverDrive, Sirris, Stewie, StreetSmart, sweep_shot, Tera Gawaandi, topspin, TSA321


No915.25%
ahmedzee, aqeelPK, bones, in_cutter, irfan, KingKhanWC, srh, warcry, ZAB

 

[Stewie]

https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-021-12114-8


The “anti-vax” movement: a quantitative report on vaccine beliefs and knowledge across social media
Staci L Benoit & Rachel F. Mauldin

Abstract
Background
Social media use has become a mainstay of communication and with that comes the exchange of factual and non-factual information. Social media has given many people the opportunity to speak their opinions without repercussions and create coalition of like-minded people. This also has led to the development of a community know as anti-vaxxers or vaccine deniers. This research explores the extent to which vaccine knowledge has reached on social media.

Methods
This cross sectional research explored the relationship between the spread of information regarding vaccines in relation to social media use. A sample of 2515 people over the age of 18 around the world completed the survey via a link distributed on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. A series of questions on vaccine knowledge and beliefs were compounded to create an individual’s “knowledge score” and a “belief score”. Knowledge scores were ranked from low knowledge to high knowledge with increasing scores. Belief scores were ranked from belief in myths to disbelief in myths with higher scores. This score was then analysed, using a Welch test and post hoc testing when applicable, across demographics and questions relating to social media use.

Results
Significant relations were found in both the knowledge and belief categories, many of which were similar findings between the two. North Americans had significantly lower knowledge and belief scores compared to all other continents. While the majority of people primarily use Facebook, Twitter users were significantly more knowledgeable. It was also found that higher education was correlated with higher knowledge and belief scores.

Conclusions
Overall, these correlations are important in determining ways to intervene into the anti-vax movement through the use of social media. Cross demographics were not analysed in this study but could be in future studies. To better understand the social media exposures related to vaccine information a follow up structured interview research study would be beneficial. Note that due to the cross sectional nature of this study, causal relationships could not be made.

Peer Review reports
Background
Fear of vaccines dates as far back as vaccines themselves as evident by Edmund Massey's [29] Sermon titled “A sermon against the dangerous and sinful practice of inoculation.” This appears to be the first objection to any forms of inoculation to prevent disease with Massey stating “Let us not sinfully endeavour to alter the Course of Nature” [29]. Next in notable vaccine objections was when the smallpox vaccine was introduced, “many skeptics […] found it counterintuitive that deliberately infecting a person with a disease” [38]. This is when the world began to see a group of people who not only refused vaccination but made an effort to inform others of the “dangers” through propaganda. However this propaganda largely consisted of arguments of infringement of rights and anti-socialism [15].

Since the infamous 1998 paper by Andrew Wakefield, this was later retracted because it incorrectly related the MMR vaccine to autism, a group of people known as vaccine deniers or more commonly known as anti-vaxxers have been exponentially growing. A vaccine denier or anti-vaxxer will be defined in this study as someone who believes vaccines do not work, are not safe or refuse vaccines for themselves and their children if applicable. Claims about vaccine safety, efficacy, and adverse effects have been evolving and have now spread to almost every vaccine available. Surveys from the American Academy of Pediatrics found that the rate of parents who refused one or more recommended vaccines increased from 9.1% in 2006 to a staggering 16.7% in 2013 [30]. The problem being faced today is the wealth of information that is not only accessible but easily spread across social media platforms regardless of veracity. It is clear that the internet is now patching a significant time in health literacy and decision making. A survey by Fox [18] found "(72%) [Of] adult internet users say they have searched online for information about a range of health issues[...] (26%) adult internet users say they have read or watched someone else’s health experience about health or medical issues in the past 12 months. And 16% of adult internet users in the U.S. have gone online in the past 12 months to find others who share the same health concerns. There are an estimated 58 milion followers on anti-vaccination pages across socialmedia ]1]. This study uses Social media propagation, to reach the study population.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the current knowledge and beliefs about vaccines in people who use social media and the differences between scores and demographics. Past research has found that the strongest influence for positive vaccine views is having factual knowledge [11]. This study hopes to determine how much factual information is known and what differentiates social media users who have adequate and inadequate knowledge. This cross sectional study hypothesizes that there are correlations between each of the individual demographic questions and the respondent’s knowledge of vaccines. Knowing what differentiates people who have adequate and inadequate knowledge can be beneficial for determining how to reach people in future vaccine campaigns. This information could also be used in an attempt to better educate or correct misinformation by means of social media in those who classify under this study as having insufficient knowledge. Additionally this research will investigate the individual’s beliefs about vaccinations in people who use social media, whether positive or negative. Uncovering individual characteristics in the respondents with their different beliefs can be helpful for deciding how to correctly reach each person group in the future in regards to vaccinations. We can use this information for educational purposes through social media to help those who were found to have negative or lower beliefs toward vaccinations.

Knowledge about vaccines, both true and false, can be easily accessible but also easily confused. The internet has become a huge influence on vaccine knowledge [26] and the emergence of social media has created a vast community that allows multi-person discussion to happen instantaneously and with little supervision [9]. “Anti-vaccination activists use [social media] to disseminate messages, facts and beliefs that oppose some or all recommended vaccinations” [6]. Brunson [8] found that the most significant factor influencing parents online is the percent of parents within a parents online network that are nonconforming. Because of these factors refusal to vaccinate is becoming a concern of public safety.

Regardless of vaccination rates, legitimate information about vaccine safety is “not reaching parents in an effective or convincing manner” [19]. This study seeks to assess whether factual knowledge is reaching social media users. This is because it has been found that the strongest predictor of positive attitudes towards vaccines is better knowledge [11]. In a study of Serbian University students it was found that 47.9% of participants thought that giving multiple vaccines at one time overloads the immune system [11]. Further research will determine if views such as the one above are perceived across all social media users and not just students.

Investigations of the dissemination of vaccine knowledge across social media have been substantially less studied until recent years, especially with the development of the COVID-19 vaccine. In a study of vaccine attitudes in Twitter users Mitra et al. found that anti-vaccination tweets had a wider reach (seen by more people) than pro-vaccine tweets [31]. In a study of HPV vaccine tweets it was found that there was “an association between prior exposure to negative tweets about HPV vaccines and the subsequent posting of negative tweets about HPV vaccines” which allowed for the sharing of negative opinions to more susceptible people [14]. From the information aforementioned it can be predicted that the majority of information about vaccines on social media has a negative connotation. What is still unclear is the ability of the general population to distinguish between fact and fiction, and whether this information has an influence on their knowledge and eventually decisions.

To determine what questions would be used and what is to be expected by demographic results this study looked at Duggan and Brenner's [13] journal article on social media users. This study found several useful social media user characteristics. Firstly, women are statistically significantly more likely to be social media users compared to men. This study also shows that with age, there is a statistically significant progressive decline in social media use. In terms of education they found that social media use was approximately equal across all levels of education. Equity across races was also seen. This demographic data is important for determining what questions should be asked, but also what can be expected in the results.

It is important to determine what factors influence people to not vaccinate. Yaqub et al. found that “‘distrust of doctors’, ‘distrust of government sources’, and ‘distrust of pharmaceutical companies’ as reason for hesitancy” [40]. In that same study they found that very few people reported that they did not have access to adequate information. While this is important, it does not elaborate on the quality of information these people are using. A cross sectional study in Australia in 2012 found that although 92% of 452 parents reported that their children were adequately vaccinated, 52% reported concerns including but not limited to vaccine safety and source of vaccine knowledge [10]. However due to discrepancies in defining anti-vaxxers or people who are vaccine hesitant, this study will focus on what knowledge people have and not ask their vaccine practices. Rather, it will look into how far the anti-vax messages have reached and the characteristics of those participants that have or have not been swayed by these messages.

Since the collection of the data related to this research the world has faced the COVID-19 pandemic. Social media and vaccine hesitancy has become a huge topic of discussion and research relating to combating COVID-19. Several studies worldwide have indicated that older individuals, females, those with higher incomes and those with higher education levels were more likely to accept a vaccine [34]. Research in this area has exploded due to fast paced development and deployment of the COVID 19 vaccine. Globally there has been varying intention to get the COVID-19 vaccine ranging from 41 and 89% [17]. A survey conducted in the United States of America showed only 57.6% of respondents intended to be vaccinated but also that “(62%) [of respondents] believed that sociopolitical factors and pressures may lead to a rushed approval for the COVID vaccine without the assurances of safety and efficacy” [27].

Methods
Collection
This research was conducted by a cross sectional multiple choice study created via Survey Monkey. Survey Monkey subscription was provided by Saint James School of Medicine and was chosen based on the platforms ability to export data to IBM's SPSS. Data of both qualitative (demographic) and quantitative (Belief and Knowledge Scores as described below) nature were collected. Survey was designed to be completed in 5–10 min. It was designed with no open ended questions, no intended question bias, and no implied judgement. Survey questions were validated by pilot participation and follow up to determine if there was any ambiguity that needed to be addressed. Demographic questions were designed to be all inclusive. Belief and Knowledge questions were based off of key arguments of vaccine deniers as determined by popular social media posts. Research of key argument involved exploring multiple social media platforms and investigating posts/comments regarding vaccine denial.

Inclusion/exclusion
Subjects were included based on completion of all parts of the survey. All demographics (country, race, gender, socioeconomic status, preferred social media platform) were included except for those under 18 years of age. Those participants under 18 were excluded because in most countries the age at which an individual can consent for medical treatment such as vaccination is 18 year old [39]. Therefore, vaccine decision making if deferred to parents and guardians over 18 years of age. Those participants who no do not consent to their information being used for research purposes (first question of the survey) were excluded from the study. Survey’s that contained any missing data/questions were excluding from analysis as scoring could not be completed. The survey was designed to not allow advancement onto next question without answering the current question. If participants clicked out of browser before completing final question their survey was invalidated and subsequently not extrapolated for analysis. Survey was available for completion from August 15, 2018 till November 1, 2018.

Sampling
Snowball sampling of social media users was used. Snowball sampling was used to help perpetuate the survey through social media, where social media is the quality of referral. The study population was aimed at being as demographically diverse as possible among people who use social media. Snowball sampling was chosen in particular for its ability to perpetuate hard to reach communities, such as those who identify as vaccine deniers [23]. Additionally, using Facebook with snowball sampling is effective at diversifying the geographical scope and increasing the overall response rate [3].

Recruitment
Subjects were recruited through the three largest social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) via a shareable web link and asked to consent before completion of the research survey. Initial survey link was posted publicly on social media platforms outlined above with information on the survey and encouragement to further share the survey once completed. A web survey was chosen due to its ease, speed, cost, and ability to obtain a geographically diverse population [20].

Questions
All questions in the survey were only available in English language and can be found in the supplementary material, document 1 titled Survey. The first half of the survey consisted of demographics and questions pertaining to use of social media and its relation to vaccine information. The latter half of the survey had six questions relating to vaccine knowledge and six questions relating to vaccine myths. The method of scoring was designed by the authors to create a numerical scale for comparative analytics. Lack of knowledge and belief in myths is not a negative feature but more so an area of improvement and discussion. As such, the design only uses positive numerals for scoring each question. This scoring system was created by the authors of this study specifically for this research. Question content was selected by authors through observation of social media posts pertaining to vaccines (both pro vaccine and anti-vaccine content) for common misconceptions and rebuttals.

The six vaccine knowledge questions were scored on a two point scale. Questions were scored by awarding two points for the answer of belief in the vaccine statement, one point for uncertainty, and zero points for the answer of disbelief in the statement. All questions were then totaled for a score on a 12 point scale. Higher values (9–12) suggesting adequate vaccine knowledge, middle range (5–8) suggesting some vaccine knowledge but with uncertainty and lower values (0–4) suggesting inadequate vaccine knowledge. This score could then be appropriately analyzed.

The six vaccine belief questions were scored on a two point scale. Two points were given for the answer choice “disbelief in the vaccine statement”, one point for uncertainty, and zero points for the answer of belief in the statement. All questions were then totaled for a score on a 12-point scale. Similar to knowledge values, higher values were indicative of disbelief in common myths, whereas lower values indicated a belief in common myths. This score could then be appropriately analyzed.

Analysis
All data analysis was conducted using IBM’s SPSS. Significance testing was performed using the Welch test. This test was chosen based on the negatively skewed data distribution with non-homogeneity of variances and sample sizes [16]. The Welch test has historically been shown to better control Type 1 error for these parameters compared to other tests [35]. Post hoc analysis was completed with Games Howell due to its robustness and utility in non-normal distributions [21]. A standard P value of 0.05 was used for statistical significance but reported up to < 0.001 which is the limit on statistical software. Raw and descriptive data is available from openICPSR.org project ID openicpsr-120,505 [5].

Results
Of the 2517 respondents, 2417 were included in the analysis based on the inclusion/exclusion criteria. The age of participants showed 446 (18.5%) people aged 18–24, 715 (29.6%) people aged 25–34, 591 (24.5%) people aged 35–44, 394 (16.3%) people aged 45–54, 189 (7.8%) people aged 55–64 and 82 (3.4%) people over the age of 65. Females accounted for 80.1% of the respondents (n = 1937 people) and males accounted for 18.8% (n = 454 people). Respondents were predominantly North American with 70.3% (n = 1700) from the USA and 12.9% (n = 312) from other North American Countries. The remaining were divided into 7.4% (n = 180) Australia/Oceanic, 7.3% (n = 176) European, 0.9% (n = 22) Asian, 0.6% (n = 15) African, 0.5% (n = 11) South American, and 1 respondent from Antarctica. The education levels showed that 0.1% (n = 2) had no formal schooling, 0.4% (n = 10) completed elementary school (grade level 1–8), 21.2% (n = 509) completed high school (grade level 9–12/13), 22.3% (n = 540) completed an Associates (2 year) degree, 34.5% (n = 833) completed a Bachelor (4 year) degree, 13.9% (n = 336) completed a Master’s degree, and 7.7% (n = 187) completed a Professional degree (PhD, MD, DC, DO, etc.). Individuals identified themselves as Lower class socioeconomic status (SES) comprised 9.8% (n = 238) of the population, 82.2% (n = 1987) as Middle class SES, and 7.9% (n = 192) as Upper class SES.

Facebook is the most commonly used social media type in the population with 69.8% (n = 1688), followed by Twitter 15.6% (n = 378), Instagram 12.9% (n = 311), then other forms of social media 1.7% (n = 40). Other forms of social media were identified as Snapchat, Tumblr, Reddit, Pinterest, or using all platforms equally. Most people 47.9% (n = 1158) claimed to only spend 0–2 h on social media daily, followed by 40.9% (n = 989) using 3–4 h, 8.4% (n = 204) using 5–6 h, 1.5% (n = 36) using 7–8 h, and 1.2% (n = 30) using social media for over 9 h. Most respondents 92.7% (n = 2240) have seen posts on social media about vaccines and only 7.3% (n = 177) have not. These posts influence 5.4% (n = 130) of users to think vaccines are worse than previously thought, 13.6% (n = 328) to think vaccines are better than previous thought, 76.4% (n = 1846) claim to not have been influenced by the posts, and 4.7% (n = 113) had not seen any posts. Lastly, people claimed to trust doctors 89.4% (n = 2160) the most with their immunization related information/decisions. The remaining people trust the internet 4.1% (n = 100), family 2.0% (n = 48), peers and friends 2.3% (n = 55), social media 0.2% (n = 5) and the government 2.0% (n = 49) with their information and decisions.

Knowledge
Table 1, found in the supplementary document 2 labeled “Tables”, depicts the frequency of knowledge scores in the sample population. As described in the methods, knowledge scores are based on a scale from 0 to 12 derived from 6 questions with answers ranked from 0 to 2 points. Scores toward 0 represent negatively skewed knowledge, or lack of correct information. Scores toward 12 represent positively skewed knowledge, or adequate vaccine knowledge. Scores of 6 represent uncertainness.

Analysis of all demographic questions against the respondent’s knowledge score was completed by Welch and then further analyzed by Games Howell. Explanations of why these tests were chosen can be found in Methods. When age was compared with knowledge scores a Welch statistical value of 0.763 and the significance of 0.576 (p > 0.05). Post hoc was not necessary.

Gender analysis showed a Welch statistic of 1.627 with a significance value of 0.204 (p > 0.05). Post hoc analysis was not examined because there was no significance.

Geographical Welch testing showed a statistic value of 11.552 with a significance of < 0.001(p < 0.05). Since this value is statically significant post hoc analysis was examined. North Americans (USA) has significantly lower knowledge scores compared to Europe (mean difference − 0.78309, significance < 0.001), and Australia/Oceania (means difference − 0.84316, significance < 0.001). North Americans (Other) also showed significantly lower knowledge scores compared to Europe (means difference − 0.76122, significance 0.001) and Australia/Oceania (means difference − 0.84316, significance 0.001). Values from Asia, Africa, and South American should be looked at with caution because of low responses. Antarctica was excluded from these calculations because there was only one respondent.

Analysis of respondents highest level of education completed showed a Welch statistic of 13.030 and significance of 0.001 (p < 0.05). Post hoc showed that those who completed a Professional degree had significantly higher scores than Bachelor’s degree (means difference 0.55353, significance of 0.007), Associates degree (means difference 1.21578, significance of < 0.001), and high school (means difference 1.11273, significance < 0.001). Those with Masters Degrees were significantly higher scoring than Associate degrees (means difference of 0.80000, significance < 0.001), and high school (means difference of 0.69695, significance of 0.001). Bachelor’s degree holders had significantly higher scores compared to Associates degree (means difference of 0.66224, significance of < 0.001) and High school (means difference of 0.55920, significance of 0.003). Those values from who have no formal school or only completion of elementary school should be looked at with caution due to low frequencies.

Socioeconomic class compared to knowledge scores yielded a Welch statistic of 0.266 and a significance of 0.767 (p > 0.05). No further analysis was needed.

The type of social media used compared to knowledge score showed a Welch statistic of 7.175 and significance of < 0.001(p < 0.05). Games Howell determined that Twitter users had significantly higher scores than Facebook (means difference 0.43812, significance of 0.001) and Instagram (means difference 0.69491, significance of 0.001).

Hours spent on social media showed a Welch statistic of 2.531 and significance of 0.044 (p < 0.05). Post hoc testing showed significantly lower values in those who use social media for 3–4 h compared to 0–2 h (means difference 0.33869, significance of 0.018). No other means from this analysis were significant.

Whether or not a respondent had seen anything on social media about vaccines was not analyzed because there are only 2 categories and therefore the question is noncompliant with the Welch analysis. The influence of vaccine posts on social media had a Welch statistic of 145.202 with a significance of < 0.001 (p < 0.05). Post hoc testing revealed that those who now perceived their opinion of vaccine of being worse than previously thought had significantly lower scores compared to those who now think vaccines are better (means difference − 6.36712, significance of < 0.001), no influence/change in opinion (means difference − 5.83564, significance of < 0.001) and those who had not seen anything (means difference − 4.70483, significance of < 0.001). Those who think vaccines are better after seeing social media posts had significantly higher scores compared to worsened opinions (as mentioned before), those who were not influenced (means difference 0.53148, significance < 0.001) and those who have not seen anything (means difference 1.66229, significance < 0.001). In addition, those who have not been influenced by posts had significantly higher scores than those who have not seen any posts (means difference 1.13081, significance < 0.001).

Lastly, those trusted for immunization related information and decisions was analyzed and found a Welch statistic of 83.032 with significance of < 0.001 (p < 0.05). Post hoc analysis showed those who trusted Doctors the most have significantly higher scores than those who trusted the internet (means difference of 5.32139, significance of < 0.001), family (means difference 5.94306, significance < 0.001), and peers (means difference 6.31957, significance of < 0.001). Those who trusted the government the most also had significantly higher scores than internet (means difference 5.13429, significance < 0.001), family (means difference 5.75595, significance of < 0.001) and peers (means difference 6.13247, significance of < 0.001). Trusting of social media should be looked at with caution due to low frequencies.

Beliefs
Depiction of the frequency of belief scores in the sample population can be found in Table 2, found in the supplementary document 2 labeled “Tables”. As noted in the methods, the remaining 6 questions were scored on a two point scale resulting in a belief score from 0 to 12. Scores toward 0 represent negatively skewed beliefs or belief in common myths. Scores toward 12 represent positively skewed beliefs or disbelief in common myths. Scores of 6 represent uncertainness.

The analysis of the demographic questions against the individual’s belief score was completed by Welch and then further analyzed by Games Howell. Explanations of why these tests were chosen can be found in methods. When age was compared with belief score a Welch statistical value of 2.923 and significance of 0.013 (p < 0.05). Post Hoc revealed 65-year-olds and older had significantly lower scores than 10–24-year-olds (mean difference − 1.37750, significance 0.014) and 24–34 year olds (mean difference − 1.19606, significance 0.047).

Gender analysis showed a Welch statistic of 0.320 with a significance value of 0.728 (p > 0.05). Post hoc analysis was not examined because there was no significance.

Geographical Welch testing showed a statistic value of 29.212 with a significance of < 0.001(p < 0.05). Due to this value being statically significant, post hoc analysis was examined. North Americans (USA) had significantly lower belief scores compared to Europe (mean difference − 1.47989, significance < 0.001), and Australia/Oceania (means difference − 1.81575, significance < 0.001). North Americans (Other) also showed significantly lower belief scores compared to Europe (means difference − 1.29021, significance < 0.001) and Australia/Oceania (means difference − 1.62607, significance < 0.001). Values from Asia, Africa, and South American should be looked at cautiously because of the low response rate. Antarctica not included in these calculations because there was only one individual who responded.

The analysis of individuals with the highest level of education completed showed a Welch statistic of 17.789 and significance of < 0.001 (p < 0.05). Post hoc showed that those who completed a professional degree had significantly higher scores than those with master’s degree (mean difference 0.74516, significance of 0.009), bachelor’s degree (means difference 1.10881, significance of < 0.001), associate’s degree (means difference 2.02797, significance of < 0.001), and high school (means difference 1.97009, significance < 0.001). Respondents with master’s degrees were significantly higher scoring than those with associate degrees (means difference of 1.28280, significance < 0.001), and high school (means difference of 1.22493, significance of < 0.001). Those with bachelor’s degrees had significantly higher scores compared to those with associate’s degrees (means difference of 0.91916, significance of < 0.001) and high school (means difference of 0.86128, significance of < 0.001). The values from those individuals that had no formal schooling, or only completion of elementary school, should be looked at cautiously due to low frequencies.

Socioeconomic class, compared to belief scores, resulting in a Welch statistic of 0.028 and a significance of 0.972 (p > 0.05). No further analysis was needed.

The type of social media users compared to belief score showed a Welch statistic of 8.011 and a significance of < 0.001(p < 0.05). Games Howell determined that Twitter users had significantly higher scores than Facebook (means difference 0.55094, significance of 0.001) and Instagram (means difference 0.98733, significance of < 0.001).

Hours spent on social media showed a Welch statistic of 3.162 and a significance of 0.016 (p < 0.05). Post hoc testing showed significantly lower values in those who used social media for 3–4 h compared to 0–2 h (means difference 0.39195, significance of 0.034). No other means from this analysis were significant.

Exposure to posts on social media about vaccinations was not analyzed because there were only two categories and therefore, noncompliant with the Welch analysis. The influence of vaccine posts on social media had a Welch statistic of 312.900 with a significance of < 0.001 (p < 0.05). Post hoc testing revealed that those who now perceived their opinion of vaccines of being worse than previously thought, had significantly lower scores compared to those who now think vaccines are better (means difference − 7.97280, significance of < 0.001), No influence or change in opinion (means difference − 7.27248, significance of < 0.001), and those who had not seen anything (means difference − 4.97992, significance of < 0.001). Those who thought vaccines were better after seeing social media posts had significantly higher scores compared to worsened opinions, as mentioned before, and to those who were not influenced (means difference 0.70031, significance < 0.001), and those who had not seen anything (means difference 2.99288, significance < 0.001). Also, those who had not been influenced by social media posts had significantly higher scores than those who had not seen any posts at all (means difference 2.29256, significance < 0.001).

Finally, those trusted in immunization related information and decisions were analyzed and found a Welch statistic of 150.953 with a significance of < 0.001 (p < 0.05). Post hoc analysis showed those who trusted doctors the most had significantly higher scores than those who trusted social media (means difference of 6.50713, significance of < 0.001), family (means difference 7.28796, significance < 0.001), and peers (means difference 7.41258, significance of < 0.001). Individuals who trusted the government the most also had significantly higher scores than social media (means difference 6.87265, significance < 0.001), family (means difference 7.65349, significance of < 0.001) and peers (means difference 7.77811, significance of < 0.001). Trusting of social media should be looked at cautiously due to its low frequencies.

Discussion
The significance found in this study can help us understand who is being influenced by posts about vaccines on social media. It is important to note that the sample in this study was originally started in North America; hence the vast majority of respondents reported residing on this continent. Beyond that, significant values from the statistics should be examined to determine what it means for this research and for further implications.

Mean scores
Overall this study found that respondents were very knowledgeable with a mean knowledge score of 10.4. Very few people had negatively skewed knowledge 0–4 (138 people, 5.7% of the total study population). Further investigation into those people that scored lowest would be able to show greater detail into the minds of those people and where the lack of factual knowledge is coming from or what hurdle needs to be faced.

Respondents had mainly positive beliefs about vaccines with a mean belief score of 9.68, with a standard deviation of 3.14. Few people had negatively skewed beliefs 0–4 (236 people, 9.8% of the total study population). Looking deeper into the individuals that had lower scores would be able to show greater explanation into why their beliefs about vaccines were negative, and how we might be able to change these beliefs.

Age
In a study in 2009, 75.64% of people aged 18–64 were internet users and 74% of users aged 18–24 were social media users (Chou et al). This is important because the high social media use group from that study is now 27–31 years old and could now be making decisions about vaccines for their children.

When looking at ages, we saw that 65 years and older tend to have more negative beliefs than those individuals that are 18–24 and 25–34, with a significant difference of 0.013 (p < 0.05). Meaning, older people tend to believe the things they see on social media more than someone who is younger. We saw that in the previous research, older people are less likely to use social media [4], but in this study, those who did use social media scored lower. There were no significant correlations regarding age for knowledge scores.

Gender and socioeconomic status (SES)
A comprehensive research paper by UNICEF in 2013 [36] titled “Tracking anti-vaccination sentiment in eastern European social media networks” found that females are more likely to discuss developmental disabilities, chemical, toxins and potential side effects whereas males are more likely to discuss conspiracy theories, religion and distrust of the government.

Across all genders and all SES, we saw no significant differences in knowledge or beliefs. This is significant to note because as previous literature and this one found, women are the predominant social media users. Since gender and SES have no impact on vaccine knowledge or beliefs we look deeper into other variables.

Geography
For geography, analysis was according to continent lived on and subsequently found statistical significance. North Americans compared to all continents are significantly less knowledgeable about vaccines and had more negatively skewed beliefs. Although this research does not give a reason to why North Americans are less knowledgeable and believe more myths it gives us insight into areas that need to be studied.

There was little data available on Asia, Africa, and South America and none on Antarctica making analysis unreliable and therefore all of which should be disregarded. It is evident that Asia is showing a lower mean knowledge than other areas but without significance due to low frequency. This is paralleled when looking at beliefs. This may be explained by previous research has found that “among people who use the internet, those in developing countries often turn out to be more likely than their counterparts in advanced economies to network via platforms like Facebook and Twitter” [33]. Further investigation should determine if Asian countries do in fact have lower knowledge of vaccines and why this is. Some things to determine include whether there is a quantifiable difference between continental education, social media, use, cultural perceptions of vaccination, etc.

Education
There is a steady incline in mean knowledge and mean belief score as education level increases. Due to low response frequencies of “no education” and “elementary education” results pertaining to these categories should be disregarded. There are significant differences between all other education levels in an increasing fashion for both knowledge and beliefs. This tells us that those with higher education are in some way or another seeking and finding valid information about vaccines. “Formal schooling adds significant value to innate ability in the form of higher-order cognitive skills crucial to decisions about health” [2]. This is important in terms of whom to focus on for future vaccine education and propaganda.

Social media platform
A comprehensive research paper titled “Tracking Anti Vaccination Sentiment in Eastern European Social Media Networks” by UNICEF in 2013 [36] found that vaccine influencers (people or pages that speak publicly about vaccines, both positively and negatively) are most prominent on Facebook and Twitter. This study found that Twitter users are significantly more knowledgeable about vaccines than Facebook or Instagram users and also had more statistically significant positive beliefs about vaccines. Somehow, information is reaching Twitter users but not reaching other forms of social media. Upon further investigation research has showed “information sought from Facebook may be obtained socially (i.e. by asking other users), whereas the information sought on Twitter might be more cognitively based, such as academic or political information that is best gained by reading source materials, for which links are often ‘tweeted’ “[22].

Time on social media
While the majority of people claimed to only spend 0–2 h on social media daily, those who spent more time, namely 3–4 h, were significantly more knowledgeable about vaccines and had significantly more positive beliefs about vaccines. Although not explored in this study, other studies have found that upwards of 90% of young adults use social media and this number is increasing every year and the majority of this time is spend on smartphones [37]. Possible reasons for the increased scores may be that those who spend more time on social media could be spending that time reading more deeply into conversations or information. Although it does not appear to be currently studied, there could also be an association between access to a smartphone and the ability to fact check information on the spot.

Vaccine related posts
One of the most interesting takeaways from the data analysis is how vaccine posts have influenced opinions. Those who reported that after seeing vaccine posts they now think vaccines are worse have significantly lower knowledge and belief scores. The opposite is true for those who reported more positive opinions since seeing posts, their scores were significantly higher. The importance of this is that people are able to accurately self-report how these vaccine posts affect them. Those people who see posts about vaccines that make them think vaccines are “bad” have less knowledge or their knowledge has been changed from correct to incorrect with these posts.

A European study found that over 40% of respondents had some degree of “negative feelings about vaccine safety” [28]. These “fear” posts are typically full of myths, although not inherently known to be myths by the reader, about vaccines and as a result people became more likely to believe the myths. While it cannot be inferred why this is happening it is an interesting statistic. The presence of this significance lets health/vaccine promoters, such as government; know that the vaccine posts with valid knowledge and promotion are working. Those respondents that reported they were not influenced by social media posts, had lower belief scores compared to those who said they were positively influenced by social media posts. Those who reported they were not influenced had similar knowledge scores to those who were positively influenced. This may be due to the ability to weed through information to find facts versus fiction.

The internet is now the easiest and most accessible way to get information. A google search from the United States of America for the term “vaccination” yielded 71% anti-vaccination pages and only 29% pro vaccination pages [25]. Many of these anti-vaccinations sites claimed that vaccines contain “poisons” and were damaging to the human body [25]. “In many cases, [those who perceive vaccines as harmful] may become the only individuals who voice their opinions [32]. This allows for a greater propagation of anti-vax information rather than pro-vaccination and factual knowledge. Googling information about the MMR vaccine and autism only 51% of the search results yielded correct information [41]. Not only is it important to understand the diversity of search results but also the quality of the websites appearing. Many of “sites masquerading as official scientific sites, some web users may not question the veracity of such material” [12]. Although this study does not specifically focus on the internet, social media allows for easy sharing of not only opinions but also links to some of these “pseudo-science” websites.

Trusted source
Lastly, the analysis of who people trust most with their vaccine related information and decisions. Literature review revealed a study that found that parents who used the internet to get their information about vaccines were more likely to think children do not benefit from vaccines [24]. It is comforting to know that the vast majority of respondent in this study do in fact rely on the information they receive from their doctor and government. While many anti-vax campaigns are grounded on the fact that authorities are misconstruing vaccine information, the idea of big pharma, it is evident that that ideal is not being taken up by social media users. Those who trust the government and doctors with their information were significantly more knowledgeable about vaccine and more positive beliefs facts than those who trust another group. While it is known that many anti-vaxxers rely on social media to disseminate their message, very few people trust social media as a source. This is very good news for doctors whose patients seek information from them and government run websites such as health departments and health organizations.

Limitations
Some limitations faced by this research include the cross sectional nature of this study. Cross sectional studies cannot infer causation, only correlations. It also limits this survey to only surface information and not important individual details. In addition, a limitation may be that demographics were not cross analyzed. This means that while it was found that professionals had the highest knowledge score this research does not delve into the gender, location, age, etc. of these people. This same information could be analyzed in this way for further investigation. It is also important to note that this information is limited by some frequencies being too low for confidence. These areas would ideally have to be isolated and looked at again with higher number of participants. These categories were mentioned in the discussion and results stating they should be disregarded.

This study is also limited by the snowball sampling method. This limits the study by which participants decided to share, and where the majority of their friends are located, as seen by the North American predominance. While great caution was taken when constructing this survey to be nonjudgmental, some valuable information is lost in the fact that respondents were not asked their vaccine practices.

As with all online surveys, no interviewer was present. Respondents were not able to clarify answers that they felt needed explanation. Without an interviewer there is no probing into deeper answers. Information this study found could be used in the future for interviewer based research to determine a more in depth understanding of those who lacked vaccine knowledge. Another limitation of being an online survey is that there is no accountability for answers. Respondents could have clicked through the survey to complete all the questions as quickly as possible without regard for what the answer choices were.

The information portrayed in this research by the authors favors scientific fact as described by other journal articles and not personal opinions/bias. Every effort was made not to use incriminating or offensive language and statements in the creation of the survey. This core of this research was completed by the authors when they were medical students. Saint James School of Medicine ethics committee approved this research and all of its modalities. Survey platform was provided by Saint James School of Medicine.

Conclusions
As social media continues to grow exponentially, it can be expected that anti-vaxxers will further spread their messages across these platforms. While this research does not delve into the totality and extent of the anti-vax movement on social media it does provide some insightful information. As mentioned previously, it is possible for governments and doctors to use this information to intervene and correct false information about vaccines and their safety. Given that trust in doctors resulted in significantly higher knowledge and belief scores, it is imperative that physicians create a trusting environment and relationship with their patients and guardians of pediatric patients. This also tells us that the information patients are getting from their doctors and the conversations they are having are influencing vaccine decision making in a positive way. What was not studied, and would be beneficial to investigate going forward, is whether doctors have the ability to change a patient’s perspective on vaccines once they have been exposed to negatively skewed vaccine information. It is also evident that those who trust the internet with their vaccine information are exposed to more misinformation. There may be an avenue for addressing misinformation on the internet through this trusted source and that could be via physician social media influencers. We have started to see the importance of this avenue with the prevalence of COVID-19. Social media has create an easily accessibly way to reach credible sources such as CDC and WHO, who made their presence known during the height of the pandemic through social media campaigns [7]. This appears to be especially important for direct intervention on Facebook, where the majority of social media use is, and unfortunately lower rates of knowledge and more negatively skewed beliefs. In North America, actions should be taken to combat the misinformation and myths that are reaching its population more than anywhere else in the world.

Further research is recommended to understand why some countries, age groups, social network users, etc. are not getting adequate information on vaccines. Future research would benefit from using a structured interviewer based approach to allow for expansion and clarification of answers. Further evaluation of the data collected here could yield more in-depth understanding of demographics. As mentioned before this research did not cross analyze demographics.

 

[Technics 1210]

Here's the cold hard fact. The largest disease known to mankind is, wait for this, HUNGER.

100s of MILlIONS die from HUNGER each year, and what does WHO do? What do Liberals do? What do MSM do? SQUAT!

The cure to hunger isn't even a vaccine, it's simply food, and here we have liberals in this thread doing bhangra because the MSM brainwash them into taking a vaccine thinking they are saving lifes. Well they are not, they are simply subservient to the fearful narrative.

Never will I take a MSM puppet liberal seriously till my last dying breath. Bunch of delusional hypocrites. You want to save lives? Start at the bottom, the basic natrual chain of survival instead of being selfish with your pathetic booster jabs that only end up funding Big Pharma.

Have some shame.

 

[Stewie]

59 PP members is tangible evidence?

Go get a refund mate.

Comprehend much?

50:9 Majority for pro vaxxers on PP shows most believe in vaccines and not some idiotic pseudo science. Is that idiot proof enough now?

If someone starts a poll and starts losing that poll, should certainly be a source of shame for that person and those who support that person. But i guess thats as much lacking around here as common sense and scientific knowledge.

Here is something else to ponder:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)00443-8/fulltext

 

[Stewie]

Anti vaxxers are showing the same tendencies and qualities as cultists. Should feel proud!

 

[Technics 1210]

Comprehend much?

50:9 Majority for pro vaxxers on PP shows most believe in vaccines and not some idiotic pseudo science. Is that idiot proof enough now?

Waffle.

I bet you have not read the articles you cite. In fact I guarantee it. Come on mate, give us a TLDR version. Thought so.

Quantity doesn't denote quality.

Oh for the record, natural immunity is not pseudoscience, it's a proven fact.

Sure you may not be the lucky one to be blessed with such a system, but your liberal fascim is no match for Allah's glorious creation.

Have faith in the God that created you, and not some MSM channel.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Anti vaxxers are showing the same tendencies and qualities as cultists. Should feel proud!

Using this terms proves you are programmed by stars & stripes flag, CNN and anything else MSM tells you bow down to.

You do realise being against one vaccine which was given in emergency use doesnt mean a person is against vaccines?

Any other polls you'd like to cite ?

 

[Stewie]

Waffle.

I bet you have not read the articles you cite. In fact I guarantee it. Come on mate, give us a TLDR version. Thought so.

Quantity doesn't denote quality.

Oh for the record, natural immunity is not pseudoscience, it's a proven fact.

Sure you may not be the lucky one to be blessed with such a system, but your liberal fascim is no match for Allah's glorious creation.

Have faith in the God that created you, and not some MSM channel.

Hvae faith in the God that created the glorious human brains who invented the vaccine to protect you. If natural immunity is so great, how come child mortality has gone down over the years thanks to vaccines. Will you not get the polio and other vaccines for your kids?

Nobody is denying natural immunity. It is great for you, but you give yourself a better chance at protecting your self with the vaccine and those who are high risk such as elderly people. Thats all science. Nobody refutes that your natural immunity doesnt exist and wont protect you. But its one of those things, You expect a massive flood, you have levies in place, but they are not tested previously with expected force of water, so you reinforce the levies to withstand the new force and not think you got good enough levies to withstand it.

You want to give yourself the best chance to survive something like this. Not taking the vaccine is like saying there is no flood or that flood is man made or that the levies are not levies but made with some other dastardly plan in mind.

Be smart, dont be a stupid cultist. If you dont want to get vaccinated, fine, but dont preach its bad for you or that it will kill you. Because vaccines dont kill you.

 

[Technics 1210]

Hvae faith in the God that created the glorious human brains who invented the vaccine to protect you. If natural immunity is so great, how come child mortality has gone down over the years thanks to vaccines. Will you not get the polio and other vaccines for your kids?

Nobody is denying natural immunity. It is great for you, but you give yourself a better chance at protecting your self with the vaccine and those who are high risk such as elderly people. Thats all science. Nobody refutes that your natural immunity doesnt exist and wont protect you. But its one of those things, You expect a massive flood, you have levies in place, but they are not tested previously with expected force of water, so you reinforce the levies to withstand the new force and not think you got good enough levies to withstand it.

You want to give yourself the best chance to survive something like this. Not taking the vaccine is like saying there is no flood or that flood is man made or that the levies are not levies but made with some other dastardly plan in mind.

Be smart, dont be a stupid cultist. If you dont want to get vaccinated, fine, but dont preach its bad for you or that it will kill you. Because vaccines dont kill you.

So you do not have a TDLR version of the links you cited? You have proven the point of MSM liberals, regurgitating nonsense without even understanding it. Brainwashing at its finest.

You call me a cultist yet in the same breath concede natural immunity is real. Ok champ.

Natural immunity is top gun when one doesn’t fill themselves with Big Pharma drugs and vaccines through out the year, through the life. Allah has created a human body that learns, and if you inject foreign chemicals, you are asking for trouble, because your WHITE cells are tricked thus reliant on unnatural substances.

Go think about how our ancestors lived a long live while living in conditions which would make a billy goat puke by today’s standards. No big Pharma, no vaccines.

Go read up on women in Africa who have natural immunity to AIDS/HIV.

Feel free to give consent to Big Pharma, as you and millions who accepted the vaccine are nothing but laboratory rats, statistics.

Remember, Big Pharma does not want you healthy, how else would they rake in BILLIONS.

 

[Stewie]

So you do not have a TDLR version of the links you cited? You have proven the point of MSM liberals, regurgitating nonsense without even understanding it. Brainwashing at its finest.

You call me a cultist yet in the same breath concede natural immunity is real. Ok champ.

Natural immunity is top gun when one doesn’t fill themselves with Big Pharma drugs and vaccines through out the year, through the life. Allah has created a human body that learns, and if you inject foreign chemicals, you are asking for trouble, because your WHITE cells are tricked thus reliant on unnatural substances.

Go think about how our ancestors lived a long live while living in conditions which would make a billy goat puke by today’s standards. No big Pharma, no vaccines.

Go read up on women in Africa who have natural immunity to AIDS/HIV.

Feel free to give consent to Big Pharma, as you and millions who accepted the vaccine are nothing but laboratory rats, statistics.

Remember, Big Pharma does not want you healthy, how else would they rake in BILLIONS.

I don’t think I ever denied natural immunity is not real. We all have white blood cells in our bodies which fight foreign infections. Sometimes they are strong enough to completely ward off diseases and sometimes they are not. It all depends on the type of infection. So let us not worry about anything else but answer me this: why is child mortality rate so low now compared with in the past? Do you believe all vaccinations children get are bad for them, what about those diseases that are almost eradicated now thanks to vaccines? TB, Polio, Chicken Pox, Small pox, they all have vaccines which protect you (100% or pick a number between 0-100%)
But you have a better chance if you are vaccinated. Vaccines don’t kill you. Same with Covid vaccine. You are just giving yourself a better chance to fight it off. You will still live if you are younger, but you protect your elderly by taking it. There are no guarantees, you might still get it. I got it with the vaccine. But the symptoms were mild. I barely coughed and I managed to fight it off in 4 days. If I were not vaccinated it could be worse. I could spread it a lot more to others around me.

That’s all I am saying. You can do independent research and check my claims to verify what I wrote. But please don’t tell me that vaccines do not protect you, or your elderly, because it’s a lie.

Also, now that I have had it and I have natural immunity, I won’t get the booster. Because now I have natural immunity which will protect me. These are all concepts that people only understand to varying degrees. I believe people either don’t fully grasp them or don’t want to. I respect your opinion to believe your natural immunity is good enough. Won’t try to shove it down your throat. But please don’t tell me that I was wrong to get vaccinated. And that it will probably kill me or affect my 5G signal on my phone or some such stuff.

 

[Technics 1210]

I don’t think I ever denied natural immunity is not real. We all have white blood cells in our bodies which fight foreign infections. Sometimes they are strong enough to completely ward off diseases and sometimes they are not. It all depends on the type of infection. So let us not worry about anything else but answer me this: why is child mortality rate so low now compared with in the past? Do you believe all vaccinations children get are bad for them, what about those diseases that are almost eradicated now thanks to vaccines? TB, Polio, Chicken Pox, Small pox, they all have vaccines which protect you (100% or pick a number between 0-100%)
But you have a better chance if you are vaccinated. Vaccines don’t kill you. Same with Covid vaccine. You are just giving yourself a better chance to fight it off. You will still live if you are younger, but you protect your elderly by taking it. There are no guarantees, you might still get it. I got it with the vaccine. But the symptoms were mild. I barely coughed and I managed to fight it off in 4 days. If I were not vaccinated it could be worse. I could spread it a lot more to others around me.

That’s all I am saying. You can do independent research and check my claims to verify what I wrote. But please don’t tell me that vaccines do not protect you, or your elderly, because it’s a lie.

Also, now that I have had it and I have natural immunity, I won’t get the booster. Because now I have natural immunity which will protect me. These are all concepts that people only understand to varying degrees. I believe people either don’t fully grasp them or don’t want to. I respect your opinion to believe your natural immunity is good enough. Won’t try to shove it down your throat. But please don’t tell me that I was wrong to get vaccinated. And that it will probably kill me or affect my 5G signal on my phone or some such stuff.

You are free to to what you want with your body, I simply do not care, but stop judging people for not taking the vaccine, for not supporting the MSM narrative. Before you say it, its liberals who embarked on a judgemental spree, trying to convince what not, and this thread is proof of it.

 

[Stewie]

You are free to to what you want with your body, I simply do not care, but stop judging people for not taking the vaccine, for not supporting the MSM narrative. Before you say it, its liberals who embarked on a judgemental spree, trying to convince what not, and this thread is proof of it.

FYI- I never did. I have stated that tens of times. I only speak against those who state vaccines don’t work or they kill you. Because those are out right lies and the OP here has peddled those lies multiple times.

 

[KingKhanWC]

FYI- I never did. I have stated that tens of times. I only speak against those who state vaccines don’t work or they kill you. Because those are out right lies and the OP here has peddled those lies multiple times.

Many around the world have died because of the Covid vaccines. You may not have heard it on CNN.

Natural immunity is far better as proven by science. You can still get Covid with a vaccine and you can also transmit Covid while vaccinated.

Now prove its you that is not a liar and find a post where I have stated " vaccines don’t work".

You keep getting your boosters but you come over as some sort of joke when you lecture others, suggesting they are putting others at risk if not vaccinated, when its proven vaccinated can also transmit.

You also have little credibility because you ignore points you cant answer. Ill try again, do you believe covid19 was not manipulated or created in a lab but was due to someone eating a bat in a wet market?