Clinical Practitioners- "Those Damn Anti-Vaxxers"
There seems to be more “anti-vaxxers” now than ever before in history. Since people have called my family “anti-vaxxers” for a few years now I thought I could offer a unique perspective. Let’s start by being very direct and to the point. “Anti-vaxxers” is a derogatory term. If I as a parent believe that you are using language that indicates that I am an “anti-vaxxer”, you have already signified to me that you have placed me as an other. By placing me as an “other” you have already started to dehumanize me and place me as less than you. The moment you start treating me like I lack intelligence or that I don’t understand basic scientific knowledge we have a problem. The truth of the matter is that I have studied far more than your average parent and it really is your ego that is puffing up because you don’t like to be challenged. I want a provider that likes to be challenged. I want my clinician to be at their very best when they are caring for my child. Their recall must be at peak performance. If they can’t be challenged, or use shame & guilt to try to manipulate me into thinking that they know what’s best for mine or my child’s health than I’m not afraid to fire that provider. This relationship is all about trust. If you can’t stand a little inquiry and answering of questions well then I’m going to find another provider. The medical establishment is a difficult place to work, as it should be. Trust in medical institutions is at an all time low. In order for us to move forward we have to start to renegotiate trust between the provider and the patients. The best way to do that is to showcase your clinical knowledge and expertise without ego.
If providers are going to challenge an “anti-vaxxer” parent let’s remember why they were given this label. Maybe they used to be a “pro-vaxxer”. Perhaps their own life and medical experiences and research has lead them to this label. Perhaps they have a vaccine injured child, like us. Perhaps they blindly followed and trusted providers like you without researching. Perhaps they didn’t know that there’s absolutely no scientific way that one vaccine could be proven safe and effective for every complex individual.
If you are going to still challenge one of these parent’s, the first thing you should do is ask permission to offer an alternative view. You better be pretty damn prepared to back up that alternative view with some scientific evidence and studies. If you don’t, your view will get swallowed up by the mountain of evidence and research that this parent has spent reading on their nights and weekends. You know that time when most people are watching Netflix and unwinding? Thats the time that my wife, the “Tiger Mom”, and I are reading case studies and research from PubMed. You know that medical jargon and lingo you use? We are a little rehearsed in that. Not because we want to be, but because we have been FORCED to be in order to advocate for our child. You know that few hour lecture you receive in medical school about vaccines? The one where you’re basically only given the CDC’s schedule and told to follow it and not to question it? Well we have definitely far exceeded those few hours of lecturing.
The soul of our healthcare system has been lost. However, there are medical providers that still have not been corrupted by big Pharma coming in and incentivizing them with monetary bonuses to have a certain percentage of their practice immunized. It’s time to highlight the healthcare providers that are still practicing personalized medicine that recommend treatment and medicine that is not driven solely by financial gain. I believe that cardiologist Peter McCullough is the epitome example of what I call a freedom fighter. It’s time to take control of our own health and look closer into the providers that we are hiring to help us do so. It’s time to fire the clinical providers that blindly push treatments and protocols without truly understanding the science and the statistics behind their recommendation.
I support the Constitution of the United States of America. The First Amendment prevents the government from making laws which regulate an establishment of religion, or that would prohibit the free exercise of religion, or abridge the freedom of speech, or the freedom of assembly. It’s time to make a stand for your own health, for your children’s health.
Former Secretary of State Daniel Webster: “It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters.”
It’s time to govern ourselves and take accountability for our own personal health.