Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Covid vaccines - thread banned users in First Post

Options
1379380382384385419

Comments

  • Registered Users, Subscribers Posts: 5,982 ✭✭✭hometruths


    It's not a silly question. If we learn something new that contradicts what was previously thought to be true, then we need to update what we consider to be misinformation. Pretending otherwise is silly.

    One of the studies you posted is a perfect example of what I am talking about and is most certainly not misinformation, or at least it wasn't at the time it was published - February 2021.

    Back then the vaccines were all about herd immunity and the worry was low uptake would mean we wouldn't reach herd immunity. Now we know that was a pipe dream. So yes, to make that claim today is misinformation.

    I am familiar with one of the authors and find him to be very credible - Alex de Figueiredo of the Vaccine Confidence Project - and indeed have cited his work in the BMJ here before about extreme pro vaccine advocates and coercive covid vaccine policies damaging the long term confidence in all vaccines.

    Ironically enough he subsequently got banned from Twitter for spreading misinformation about vaccines. Or at least what Twitter deemed to be misinformation.

    But I believe Twitter has since updated its guidelines and some, if not all, of what he got banned for is now consensus.



  • Registered Users Posts: 25,236 ✭✭✭✭King Mob


    But it is a silly question as you're only asking it as a distraction from all of the points and questions you are dodging. I told you I'm not going to respond to it any more than you are going to respond to the hundreds of questions of mine and others you've ducked.

    As you agree, the studies I posted are not misinformation and you accept their findings. Discussion done.



  • Registered Users, Subscribers Posts: 5,982 ✭✭✭hometruths


    I would be a lot more hesitant than you are to label something as misinformation.

    But I do think posting this sort of thing in November 2022 as evidence of the dangers of misinformation is laughable:

    It is estimated that a novel COVID-19 vaccine will need to be accepted by at least 55% of the population to provide herd immunity, with estimates reaching as high as 85% depending on country and infection rate. Reaching these required vaccination levels should not be assumed given well-documented evidence of vaccine hesitancy across the world, which is often fuelled by online and offline misinformation surrounding the importance, safety or effectiveness of vaccines.



  • Registered Users Posts: 17,984 ✭✭✭✭Dohnjoe



    The 400 pages of this thread really demonstrates there are no coherent conspiracies, and reinforces that there will always be a determined group of individuals who will attempt to malign vaccines in any way possible, regardless of benefits.

    Polls have also demonstrated that a vast majority of anti-vaxxers still wouldn't get shots even if there were no side effects whatsoever, and that very little will change their minds.



  • Registered Users Posts: 25,236 ✭✭✭✭King Mob


    No. I'm pretty confident in labeling things from sites like Info Wars, Natural News and Epoch Times as misinformation.


    But ok, you're back to dismissing the studies I posted again. Cool.



  • Advertisement
  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,096 Mod ✭✭✭✭robinph


    Misinformation - deliberately making stuff up that is clearly false but then lying about the source of the information.

    Science - our understanding of things change over time as we learn more about stuff.


    If the theories about when herd immunity might be reached has changed over the last couple of years that is not misinformation.

    Claiming that vaccines have been designed to kill us all off, implant 5G, or something else is misinformation... Or lying.



  • Registered Users Posts: 25,236 ✭✭✭✭King Mob


    There are no coherent conspiracies because the grifters the anti-vaxxers follow on twitter and other social media don't provide one.

    If they provide one they run the risk of possibly contradicting themselves or stepping on the toes of specific beliefs. They'd also be in danger of making disprovable predictions or statements that get proved to be false. They might also just sound silly if they lay out a theory in clear terms

    it's much easier and much more profitable for them to Just Ask Questions and make insinuations for their audience to fill in the blanks with their prefered narrative.

    And here, since conspiracy theorists are only repeating what they see on twitter et al, that's all we get. Few conspiracy theorists seem able to actually formulate their own theories. The few who do I believe reach the same conclusions as the grifters and know better than to solidly outline things.



  • Registered Users Posts: 25,236 ✭✭✭✭King Mob


    Lets not forget claims like the idea that the vaccines aren't vaccines. That the VAERS and similar data is showing the vaccines are dangerous. That the vaccines will change people's DNA. That the vaccines are killing millions of people. That the vaccines are causing infertility and miscarriages. That the vaccines are causing cancers. That the vaccines are causing news presenters and sports players to drop dead. That the vaccines are a part of a global scheme to remove the concept of ownership inside of 7 years...



  • Registered Users Posts: 17,984 ✭✭✭✭Dohnjoe


    Aspirin is 200 times more dangerous than these vaccines. Have a headache? We take an aspirin.

    Anti-vaxxers are simply that, anti-vaccine. A cemented personal belief and stance. Manifests itself in many ways, whether its someone claiming there are magnets inside the vaccines, someone else who relentlessly attacks the treatment by cherry-picking studies, others carrying on an act of "just asking questions" constantly, others who are "really concerned" about the kids, and so on

    Vaccines aren't perfect, it's just a type of treatment, their benefits (greatly) outweigh any drawbacks. That doesn't compute with fanatics who must attack vaccines in some way, any way possible. They are unable to do otherwise and very little will ever change their beliefs.

    All we can do is highlight their systematic behaviour and faulty thinking.



  • Registered Users, Subscribers Posts: 5,982 ✭✭✭hometruths


    Given your concern for the consequences of unfettered misinformation, who are you protecting from the consequences?

    Despite the utterances of early 2021, we now know that concerns about uptake required for herd immunity is not an issue.

    Are you protecting anti-vaxxers from themselves? Or is it something else that troubles you about anti-vaxxers spreading misinformation?



  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 17,984 ✭✭✭✭Dohnjoe



    Anti-vaxxers, a considerable number of them, have unnecessarily died from Covid as a result of consuming false and misleading information about vaccines. A lot of that comes from social media.

    I know two anti-vaxxers, they were both convinced by online garbage. Some of the propaganda and methods used to spread this disinfo are potent. I have driven past old people holding anti-vax placards on the side of the road. These are older, at risk, vulnerable people, who are refusing to get vaccinated against Covid because they have, very sadly, also bought into the anti-vax stuff.

    It's dangerous disinformation, it's straight-up costing lives.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,218 ✭✭✭snowcat


    Amazing they are still alive :-). I know a few stroke victims in their 40's and 50's and 2 who unfortunately passed in the last year. All very sudden and unexpected. One of those excess deaths i guess due to the heatwave.

    https://www.spectator.com.au/2022/11/covid-karmas-gonna-get-ya/



  • Registered Users, Subscribers Posts: 5,982 ✭✭✭hometruths


    Gosh, you have much more first hand experience of the damage wrought than I do. I don't know any anti-vaxxer fanatics personally. I only know one unvaccinated person, but wouldn't really consider him an anti-vaxxer. He certainly doesn't preach to anybody about his vaccination status. He's more of an each to their own type of person.

    I don't actually know any extreme pro vaccine fanatics either, i.e anybody who preaches about the importance of getting vaccinated. Again all the vaccinated people I know would be of the each to their own ilk. I do know quite a few who would have strong views about giving their kids the covid vaccine, if it were to be mandated, but given that is not likely to happen it does not appear to bother any of them.

    And I'd totally agree that the elderly would probably be better off getting vaccinated than spreading dangerous disinformation, but I would not consider demonising them on account of their individual choices.

    Maybe I'd think differently if there were hordes of angry anti-vax senior citizens with placards in my neighbourhood, but oddly enough I've never seen any of this sort of thing. Plenty of old people around these parts though.

    Must keep my eye out for these pensioner protesters, assuming they are still alive.

    Though I suspect given that 99.9% of people over the age of 65 in Ireland are vaccinated, this might be a factor in the rare sightings of this particular breed of anti-vaxxer, so I won't hold my breath.

    Good for you though, tirelessly tackling inaccurate information on behalf of the 0.1%.



  • Registered Users Posts: 17,984 ✭✭✭✭Dohnjoe


    It's not amazing. Over 6 million people have died from Covid, and vaccines reduce the chance of death from the virus (by up to 90% depending on variant). It's simple maths.

    The virus has killed a disproportionate amount of people who didn't bother to take the vaccine, were too scared to or worst of all, were anti-vaxxers.



  • Registered Users Posts: 17,984 ✭✭✭✭Dohnjoe


    Good for you though, tirelessly tackling inaccurate information on behalf of the 0.1%.

    The inadvertent acknowledgement. And thanks.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,218 ✭✭✭snowcat


    I is amazing. 6 Million people? On paper maybe. When you have 92 year olds succunbing to a viral illness with cancer and several other comorbitities it becomes a bit of a joke. Its the same as giving the mRNA vaccine to a 92 year old, and when they die from it you have a choice of putting it as a natural death or as a vaccine death. The vaccine fanatics will say she was on the way out anyway. Which may be true but it was the same with Covid.



  • Registered Users Posts: 6,485 ✭✭✭Fighting Tao


    Any evidence that death certs are being falsified?



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,218 ✭✭✭snowcat


    Not to mention that most of the world had covid even pre vaccines and 99.99% survived so 6 million in a population of 8 billion is fairly statistically meaningless



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,218 ✭✭✭snowcat




  • Registered Users Posts: 6,485 ✭✭✭Fighting Tao


    Yeah, I did think you were making up nonsense again. Thanks for confirming.



  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 30,137 ✭✭✭✭odyssey06


    We already know you dont care about 6 million deaths yet jump on the slightest hint of the mildest effect of vaccines on menstrual cycles.

    And to state that most of the world had covid pre vaccines is absolute nonsense.

    It was said that the death of one a tragedy, of one million a statistic. You have demonstrated that point and shown you are incapable of understanding what those deaths meant.

    Your position is bereft of evidence, logic or empathy.

    "To follow knowledge like a sinking star..." (Tennyson's Ulysses)



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,218 ✭✭✭snowcat


    We know you dont care that the mRNA vaccine can cause abnormal bleeding and disrupted cycles to women.sometimes for in excess of 6 months and sometimes never resolved. Millions die everyday from many preventable illnessness so dont pull the holier than thou attitude with me. Covid in general has been an non event in the scale of worldwide illness. This blinkered attitude to human suffering is pathetic , believing that one virus that has caused minimal suffering should unite the world above other causes and illness that have been ignored is disingenious and a bit sad and ranks of everything you have accused..



  • Registered Users Posts: 17,984 ✭✭✭✭Dohnjoe



    Got it, so it's not 6 million but even if it is, it doesn't matter.

    But the tiny amount who died from vaccines are highly concerning.

    It's the equivalent of dismissing the millions who have died in car accidents as a result of not wearing seat-belts as just a statistic, but then being really "distressed" over the tiny fraction who were killed because of seatbelts.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,218 ✭✭✭snowcat


    At least we are admitting that people died from getting the vaccine. Now we need to explain why 10's of millions of people above the normal fatality rate are dying worldwide and get a definite explanation that is/is not linked to a mass rollout of a new tech vaccine.



  • Registered Users Posts: 17,984 ✭✭✭✭Dohnjoe


    People die from vaccines, it's been repeated over and over in this thread ad nauseum. So there is no "at least". The issue is that people who are against vaccines regularly gaslight that vaccines are somehow perfectly safe, in order to attack an invented perfect safety record. Yes, it is that dumb.

    People also die from drinking water, from taking aspirin. Maths is key.



  • Registered Users, Subscribers Posts: 5,982 ✭✭✭hometruths


    Over 6 million people have died from Covid,

    Amusingly, on the subject of misinformation, if you had quoted that figure 6 months ago you would have been attacked from some quarters for spreading dangerous inaccurate information by downplaying the scale of the covid death toll by more than half, the true total was closer to 15 million. The angry mob would have quoted this article at you, no less reputable a source than the BBC quoting analysis by the WHO:

    The Covid pandemic has caused the deaths of nearly 15 million people around the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates.

    And what do you know? it turns out that all those quoting the figure of 15 million were guilty of spreading dangerous and inaccurate information.

    vaccines reduce the chance of death from the virus (by up to 90% depending on variant). It's simple maths.

    It's very simple maths if you put it like that. As impressive as it sounds, of course it is only meaningful relative to the chance of death without the vaccine. If that is in the region of 0.03% then of course reducing it by 90% is no big deal now matter how much you scaremonger.



  • Registered Users Posts: 30,137 ✭✭✭✭odyssey06


    6 millon deaths and we can get this whataboutery.

    Apparently 6 million deaths is a non event to you. The issue is not that I dont care but even if your claim of impact on cycles is true - and the evidence you provided so far is highly dubious - but that if 6 million deaths is nothing to you then on any metric such an impact pales in comparison.

    If 6 million deaths is nothing to you, why should you care if millions die from other diseases. Against the billions of global population that is still a non event.

    Blinkered attitide indeed.

    Your position has no internal logic or coherence to it.

    6 million deaths and we get absolutely baseless claims about most of the world having covid pre vaccines which is entirely without foundation.

    And the deaths were kept to 6 million only because of the global effort to contain it and to roll out vaccines.

    Oh and millions of people do not die everyday. Either from preventable illnesses or otherwise. You are just plucking numbers from thin air at this stage. Holier than thou attitude? No thats just you throwing out hot air to obscure the holes in your argument.

    The absolute moral and intellectual bankruptcy of your position is plain for all to see.

    "To follow knowledge like a sinking star..." (Tennyson's Ulysses)



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,218 ✭✭✭snowcat


    This type of blatant misinformation is what classifies the vaccine fanatics and the anti vaxxers together. Comparing the risks of drinking water or taking aspirin with a novel mRNA vaccine explains it all



  • Registered Users Posts: 30,137 ✭✭✭✭odyssey06


    15 million is over 6 million.

    Whether it is closer to lower or higher figure - the BBC article explains the reasons for the uncertainty - you havent even tried to substantiate why it is dangerous or misinformation.

    You are just trotting out that line as an unthinking mantra / slogan now in your posts.

    "To follow knowledge like a sinking star..." (Tennyson's Ulysses)



  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Subscribers Posts: 5,982 ✭✭✭hometruths




Advertisement