The rise in coronavirus vaccination numbers has evidently led to a lot of controversy between individuals of different beliefs. Primarily, these rifts fall between members of different political parties, or on opposite sides of the political spectrum. An inconceivable amount of false information has been spread about the different vaccines, Pfizer Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, in attempts to discourage individuals from getting them. Going as far as making outrageous claims that the shot will implant a tracker into your body, certain individuals are adamant about not being vaccinated.
Ethan Lindenberger, a 20 year old from Ohio who gained media attention in 2019 for getting his childhood immunizations despite his mothers wishes, wants to help those who are completely unable to help themselves at this time: The children of anti-vaxxer parents. In most U.S. states, every person under the age of 18 would need parental consent to get this life-saving vaccine. Lindenberger encourages teens to be smart about going against their parents, but to also actively take the initiative to advocate for what they need for their personal health: “Don’t get yourself kicked out or seriously in trouble...but, if you’re able to have that conversation, please get your shots as soon as possible.”
Another young woman named Kelly Danielpour runs her own organization called VaxTeen that aims to assist young people who want to be vaccinated against their parent’s wishes. In her opinion, the most important factor in convincing one’s parents to consent is education. If armed with the correct information, it realistically should not be hard to convince parents to let their children get vaccinated. However, in some cases, parents completely refuse to listen or believe it. Then, it is a matter of diving into minor self-consent. This not only shows how unnecessarily controversial this issue is, but also the toll it can take on family dynamics on mental health.
I am personally grateful to be double-vaccinated by Pfizer. It is astonishing to me that certain people are willing to put the lives of so many people at risk on the basis of terribly defended conspiracy theories and stubbornness. When faced with solid facts, these people actively choose to believe fiction. I am in full support of teens and young people fighting back against their anti-vaxxer parents and grasping at the opportunity to return to normalcy, and help so many people in the process. Fighting a worldwide pandemic should be a collective effort, not a constant battle.
Response Questions:
Would you go against your parents to get vaccinated if necessary?
How do you feel about the farfetched ideas that the vaccinations contain trackers, magnets, etc.?
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3 comments:
While it is very concerning that many parents are still unwilling to get vaccinated, and also preventing their children from access to vaccines, it is hopeful that there are stories and organizations dedicated towards helping those in such situations get vaccinated. While I am extremely relieved to be fully vaccinated, it is scary to hear from relatives about their fears of the vaccines, citing far fetched theories of tracking devices and government surveillance implications. Frightening enough, some individuals who refuse the vaccine are the ones working in hospitals, and have been quite literally exposed to the effects of the virus for so long, yet are fearful of receiving the vaccine. This thought is definitely alarming, yet it is important that there are still ways for those wishing to get vaccinated despite any parental control over them. It is saddening that someone's own parents are trying to keep them from a lifesaving vaccine, however important to empower the children to seek out the vaccine and do their part.
Considering there is lots of progress with the Covid Virus as cases are at a all-time-low, it doesn't seem be such a significant problem that it requires some sort of action. It's a good question about what I personally would do if my parents were against the vaccine as what your parents think can also reflect in most cases what you think, for example political views. As for the comedy myth that the government is implanting a chip inside us, it's not possible.
If my parents were against vaccinations, I would definitely try to seek out a way to get one without their consent. It's really astonishing that despite all of the research, facts, and science that are backing vaccines, there are still people that are against them and refuse to let their kids get them. I can understand/justify people's concerns to some extent if they were worried AT FIRST about the side effects or how new the vaccine is, but I can't understand why people are giving into and spreading false information about the vaccines containing trackers. It's rather scary that such blatantly wrong information can gain so much traction and such a large following. I also think it's really interesting to see how kids' views differ from their parent's. Usually, I would assume that a lot of time in the past, kids end up with similar political views as their parents as that's how they were born and raised. Recently though, as social media and online information has become more prevalent and accessible, I see more and more kids that have different views, on matters such as vaccinations, than their parents. I think this is a good sign as it means our generation will continue to grow and learn, even with adults that sometimes have outdated beliefs.
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