It seems to be part of the cultural package surrounding vaccination
that any new vaccine, particularly one introduced on a large scale in
order to suppress a potential epidemic, quickly becomes the subject of
anti-vaccination narratives along these lines. Such narratives
compellingly draw together the anxieties and resentments we have about
science, government and big business, and make them personal and
somatic. Science, government and big business are going to put
something in your body, whether you like it or not, that will probably
harm you. (Flouride in the water supply!). The scientists are doing it
because they're arrogant (boo to people who think they know better
than us). The government are doing it because they're trying to set a
precedent for other things they want to impose on us in future (boo to
people who try to push us around). Big business are doing it because
they want to make a lot of money selling vaccine drugs (boo to people
who try to get rich off of us). Once you know the template, it's
fairly easy to fill in the details for new-vaccine-X.
I believe the smallpox vaccine/African AIDS-connection story is still
the biggest shark in this pool.
Dominic
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