← Quick Find
Menü
Vaccine-preventable diseases are exaggerated or do not exist
In general, conspiracy theories tend to become more prominent when people feel threatened or fear a loss of control, because the theories allow people to cope with threatening events by focusing blame on a set of presumed conspirators.
Not everyone who engages in conspiratorial rhetoric is a firm believer in a conspiracy. Sometimes conspiracy theories are used as a rhetorical tool to escape inconvenient conclusions. For example, some people will allude to a conspiracy among scientists to explain away a scientific consensus they oppose, such as climate change, but the same people will not do so when a scientific consensus is of no relevance to their personal attitudes. In general, debunking is easier with individuals who adopt conspiratorial rhetoric only for convenience.
However, some individuals are deeply committed to their conspiratorial beliefs, which may have become part of their identity. Debunking is much more challenging with those committed individuals. People who are committed believers tend to be devoted to more than one conspiracy theory.
Belief in multiple conspiracies (that COVID is a hoax and that the government is hiding people killed by the vaccine) is therefore a good indicator of beliefs that are probably deeply held. In addition, people who are committed believers also tend to exhibit other diagnostic attitudes and attributes. For example, people high on narcissism are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories, as are people who engage in magical thinking (e.g., claim to have experience with the supernatural) and are high in Machiavellianism (and hence low in trust).
The variables that drive belief in conspiracy theories tend to be emotional in nature and revolved around fears and a sense of loss of control.
This theme claims that diseases treated by vaccines have been exaggerated or do not exist. These conspiracist arguments often call diseases a ‘hoax’ or ‘fabricated’ and accuse governments of spreading unwarranted fear.
Since most people do not have regular contact with vaccine-preventable diseases they may not fear these diseases. In addition, politicians and media have a history of exaggerating the real dangers of situations in order to attract votes and audiences, making it difficult for people to know which information to believe.
Dialogue between patients and healthcare professionals is most productive if it is guided by empathy, and an opportunity for the patient to affirm the reasons underlying their attitudes and to express understanding for that. That’s why it is important to understand the attitude roots behind people’s overt opinions. To affirm a person’s underlying attitude root does not mean we need to agree with the specifics of their argument. For example, we can acknowledge that:
Since most people do not have regular contact with vaccine-preventable diseases they may not fear these diseases. In addition, politicians and media have a history of exaggerating the real dangers of situations in order to attract votes and audiences, making it difficult for people to know which information to believe.
A vaccine protects you against diseases and severe illness. In the worst case, disease can have fatal consequences and can lead to disability and death.
Prior to the introduction of a vaccine, as recently as 1980, measles caused more than 2.6 million deaths globally. As recently as 2006, approximately 290,000 people worldwide died from tetanus.
To date, vaccinations against polio have saved 19 million people from paralysis and 1.5 million people from death from polio. The number of polio cases worldwide has been reduced by 99.9% compared to the 1980s.
Because of vaccines, people have longer life expectancies. Vaccines help people survive.
Additional information:
Academic references:
In general, conspiracy theories tend to become more prominent when people feel threatened or fear a loss of control, because the theories allow people to cope with threatening events by focusing blame on a set of presumed conspirators.
Not everyone who engages in conspiratorial rhetoric is a firm believer in a conspiracy. Sometimes conspiracy theories are deployed as a rhetorical tool to escape inconvenient conclusions. For example, some people selectively appeal to a conspiracy among scientists to explain away a scientific consensus they oppose, such as climate change, but the same people will not do so when a scientific consensus is of no relevance to their personal attitudes. In general, debunking is easier with individuals who deploy conspiratorial rhetoric only for convenience.
However, some individuals are deeply committed to their conspiratorial beliefs, which may have become part of their identity. Debunking is much more challenging with those committed individuals. People who are committed believers tend to be devoted to more than one conspiracy theory. Belief in multiple conspiracies (that COVID is a hoax and that the government is hiding people killed by the vaccine) is therefore a good indicator of beliefs that are probably deeply held. In addition, people who are committed believers also tend to exhibit other diagnostic attitudes and attributes. For example, people high on narcissism are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories, as are people who engage in magical thinking (e.g., claim to have experience with the supernatural) and are high in Machiavellianism (and hence low in trust). The variables that drive belief in conspiracy theories tend to be emotional in nature and revolved around fears and a sense of loss of control.
English 
French 
Spanish 
German 
Romanian