Claim Review: Are Half the Adult Population Anti-Vaxxers?

In an interview, Andrew Wakefield  made several claims about vaccines and autism. One notable claim was that 'more than half the adult population of the world are anti-vaxxers.' This claim warrants a thorough examination to determine its validity.

Vaccine hesitancy is a complex issue that varies widely across different regions and populations. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines vaccine hesitancy as the 'reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines.' While vaccine hesitancy is a concern, it does not represent the majority of the global population.

According to a study published in the journal The Lancet, vaccine confidence varies significantly across countries. The study, titled 'The State of Vaccine Confidence 2016: Global Insights Through a 67-Country Survey,' found that while some countries have high levels of vaccine hesitancy, others have very low levels. The study can be found here.

A more recent survey conducted by the Wellcome Global Monitor in 2018 found that globally, 79% of people agree that vaccines are safe, and 84% agree that vaccines are effective. This survey included responses from over 140,000 people across 144 countries. The results of the survey can be found here.

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine acceptance has been a critical issue. A global survey conducted by the Imperial College London found that while vaccine hesitancy exists, it is not the majority view. The survey, which included responses from over 13,000 people across 14 countries, found that the majority of respondents were willing to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The survey results can be found here.

It is important to note that vaccine hesitancy is influenced by a variety of factors, including misinformation, cultural beliefs, and personal experiences. Addressing vaccine hesitancy requires a nuanced approach that involves education, communication, and building trust in healthcare systems.

In conclusion, the claim that more than half the adult population of the world are anti-vaxxers is not supported by available data. While vaccine hesitancy is a real and important issue, it does not represent the majority of the global population. Surveys and studies consistently show that the majority of people around the world support vaccination and recognize its importance in protecting public health.

The transcript:
I went to the CDC back in 2000 and they said, look, Dr. Wakefield, you know, it's, it's everybody gets the MMR. Only a few children have autism. So how do you equate it? Well, that's how medicine works. A lot of people smoke, only a few develop lung cancer, but the point is it's pattern of exposure. I said, look, we believe, for example, that age of exposure is important.

We know this because with the natural infection, the younger you get measles, the greater the risk of infection. of a more severe reaction. If you get it under one, for example, does the same pertain to the vaccine. If you get the vaccine younger, are you at greater risk? And they went away to their credit and they tested that hypothesis and they found that it was exactly, and they spent the next 14 years destroying the documents, putting them in a dumpster and covering up and publishing a paper that exonerated the vaccine until one of the whistleblowers, William Thompson, head scientist in that study came forward and said, I can't live with this any longer.

I kept the, the documents here. They are, it showed fraud, most appalling violation of medical and scientific ethics on behalf of the CDC. So people say now, oh, there's no evidence. Vaccines cause autism. Absolutely. There is. And when you have to commit to that level of fraud, any level of fraud, but that level of fraud, not only in the context of this vaccine, but Pfizer in the context of the, of the COVID vaccine, everybody else, you're on a losing, run right from the start.

You are going to lose because you can only sustain that lie for so long and then someone somewhere is going to come forward, some brave person and say, actually, no, it was completely the opposite. And public confidence is shattered. It will never be regained. So now we are in a majority of people who are saying no to the 4th, 5th, 6th booster for COVID.

And by definition in media terms, those are anti vaxxers. More than half the adult population of the world are anti vaxxers. So, I think that, as I say, this will turn out to be the greatest mistake they ever made. And I think that we are winning, uncomfortable as that may be, we are winning.