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We often hear the argument that anyone who supports the ideas that vaccines work and that they are safe and necessary must be a shill for Big Pharma. And that pediatricians, even though they are among the lowest paid doctors, are making tons of money from vaccines and even getting bonuses to get kids vaccinated.
Of course, none of these myths and conspiracy theories are true.
Money and Motivation of the Anti-Vaccine Movement
But guess what motivates many of the folks in the anti-vaccine movement?
“Vaccines are a holocaust of poison on our children’s brains and immune systems.”
Claire Dwoskin
For some, it is the idea that vaccines damaged their child.
And then there’s the money.
CNN did a report several years ago on how a few groups were funding researchers and organizations that put out much of the material that scare parents away from vaccinating and protecting their kids.
It wasn’t a surprise though. Many others had been saying the same things for years about:
- Barry Segal and Focus for Health
- JB Handley and Generation Rescue
But anti-vaccine experts aren’t just motivated by the money they directly get from those with deep pockets.
They have discovered many ways to turn the anti-vaccine movement into a money making industry.
Many of these folks also get money by:
- soliciting donations
Those who are health care providers can also establish integrative or holistic medical practices that don’t accept insurance and only see patients that can pay cash. In addition to selling supplements, these providers offer unproven and disproven alternative therapies, like homeopathy, integrative testing, IV therapy, and cranio-sacral therapy.
But only if you have plenty of cash handy.
Kelly Brogan, MD, for example, who believes in a approach to vaccines and thinks we should co-exist with viruses and bacteria, charges up to $4,497 for your first appointment! But if that’s too much for you, for only $997, you can start living a “happy, healthier life” with her 44 day online program.
“We coexist with bacteria and viruses to a level of enmeshment that makes the perception of ‘vaccine-preventable infections’ a laughable notion.”
Kelly Brogan, MD on Where do Vaccines Fit into a Paleo Lifestyle?
And now, some doctors are even making money by selling vaccine exemptions!
Oliver argued that Sears likes to have it both ways, seeming to support science-based medicine while once in a while saying things like “vaccines don’t cause autism except when they do.”
The line inspired Oliver to fire back with this: “Don’t worry, opportunist quacks writing books that fan the flames of people’s unfounded fears don’t cause a legitimate public health hazard, except when they do.”
John Oliver takes a shot at the anti-vaccine movement and the ‘opportunistic quacks’ behind it
Mostly they just sell fear though.
But that’s all they need to get their foot in the door and keep some parents from vaccinating and protecting their kids.
What to Know About the Money and Motivation of the Anti-Vaccine Movement
Although they cry Big Pharma at the drop of a hat, it should be clear that folks in the anti-vaccine movement are often motivated by money.
