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I understand being anti-vax. The reason is that I used to be anti-vax myself. And I maintained that view for a number of years. Eventually, though, I had to come to terms with the fact that my reasons were not based on demonstrable knowledge about vaccines or the diseases they were said to prevent. The way I came to hold anti-vaccine views had more to do with conspiracy theories than anything else. Plus, I found some of the testimonies of people who said vaccines had harmed them or their children convincing. But if I was going to be honest with myself, I had to be willing to give vaccines an honest investigation, with a genuine willingness to follow the evidence wherever it leads. When I did so, the evidence in favor of vaccines was overwhelming. In light of COVID-19 and current vaccine hesitancy, I pulled up some of the information that originally persuaded me that vaccines are safe and effective. In addition to this, I came across some great resources that show the evidence demonstrating the safety and effectiveness of COVID vaccines in particular. Here’s the info:
Vaccines are Safe: Vaccine Safety: Examine the Evidence – HealthyChildren.org
Vaccines are Effective: Vaccination – Our World in Data
COVID Vaccines are Safe and Effective: Living Evidence – COVID-19 vaccines | Agency for Clinical Innovation (nsw.gov.au)
COVID Vaccines are Effective: How We Know That the COVID-19 Vaccines Work | Office for Science and Society – McGill University
The last link is to a very easy-to-follow article that provides evidence through hyperlinks, while the first three links aren’t really an “easy read,” but they provide mountains of evidence. If you care about truth – if you want to be someone who accepts reality on its own terms – the information in these links will leave no room for reasonable doubts regarding vaccines. Stated positively, these links provide all the evidence needed for a reasonable mind to conclude that vaccines, including COVID vaccines, are safe and effective.
