Anti-Vax: A Case Study in the Theory of Stupidity
Lysenkoism: A Prelude to Modern Stupidity
Lysenkoism, a political and scientific movement led by Soviet biologist Trofim Lysenko, rejected Mendelian genetics in favor of a flawed form of Lamarckism. Lysenko’s theories, which he termed “Michurinism” after the Russian plant breeder Ivan Michurin, claimed that environmental changes could directly alter an organism’s traits and that these changes could be inherited by future generations. This contradicted the well-established principles of genetics developed by Gregor Mendel and others, which showed that traits are inherited through genes that remain largely unchanged except for mutations and recombination during reproduction [1, 2].
With the backing of Joseph Stalin, Lysenko’s pseudoscientific ideas gained dominance in Soviet biology (Figure 1). Stalin’s support was crucial, as it allowed Lysenko to suppress dissenting scientific views and promote his theories as the official state doctrine. This led to the dismissal, imprisonment, or execution of over 3,000 mainstream biologists, including prominent geneticists like Nikolai Vavilov, who had initially mentored Lysenko but later denounced him. Vavilov was imprisoned and died in custody, and Soviet genetics research was effectively destroyed during this period [1, 2].
Lysenko’s influence extended beyond genetics to other fields of biology, including neurophysiology and cell biology, which were also harmed or banned. His agricultural policies, based on his flawed theories, led to widespread crop failures and food shortages, contributing to the suffering of millions of people. Despite the clear failures of his methods, Lysenko remained in power for many years, as his ideas aligned with the political ideology of the Soviet regime [1, 2].
The term “Lysenkoism” has since come to symbolize the dangers of political interference in science. It serves as a cautionary tale of how ideological agendas can distort scientific knowledge and lead to disastrous consequences.
The Anti-Vax Movement: Lysenkoism’s Brain-Dead Cousin
Fast forward to the modern era, and it seems that we, as a species, have learned absolutely nothing. As I followed in horrified amazement the progress of the anti-vax—and more generally the anti-science—movement, and how mainstream political figures are pushing the anti-vax narrative, I kept being reminded of Lysenkoism and how these movements are actually the same. The sheer audacity required to reject centuries of scientific progress in favor of YouTube conspiracy theories is truly something to behold. It begs the question: what could possibly motivate people to turn their backs on one of the most significant human advancements in medical history, putting themselves, their loved ones, and their whole communities in harm’s way for absolutely no reason? Well, I believe I have reached a reasonable, albeit simple, conclusion: stupidity. I’m not referring to stupidity as the inherent lack of intelligence in individuals—so no need to take offense! Instead, I’m discussing stupidity as a social phenomenon, a collective behavior or pattern that emerges in certain contexts. But before I delve deeper into this profound revelation, let’s first take a quick tour through the history of vaccines and how they have helped humanity. This will provide some perspective on the irrationality of the anti-vax movement.
The Historical Progress and Impact of Vaccines
The journey of vaccines began with Edward Jenner’s smallpox vaccine in 1796, which laid the foundation for modern immunology. Jenner’s groundbreaking discovery demonstrated that exposure to cowpox could confer immunity to smallpox, leading to the development of the first successful vaccine. Fun fact: The word “vaccine” comes from the Latin word for cow, “vacca,” as a tribute to the first cowpox-based vaccine. This concept of inducing immunity through controlled exposure to a pathogen revolutionized medicine and set the stage for future vaccines [3, 4].
Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, vaccine development advanced rapidly. Louis Pasteur developed vaccines for rabies and anthrax, while the 20th century saw the introduction of vaccines for diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and tuberculosis. The mid-20th century was a golden era of vaccine breakthroughs, with the polio vaccine developed by Jonas Salk in 1955 and later improved by Albert Sabin’s oral polio vaccine. These vaccines played a crucial role in nearly eradicating polio globally [3, 4].
To put this into perspective, global immunization efforts have saved at least 154 million lives over the past 50 years. The measles vaccine alone has saved nearly 94 million lives since 1974. Thanks to the polio vaccine, more than 20 million people are able to walk today who would otherwise have been paralyzed. Smallpox, once a deadly disease that killed 300 million people in the 20th century alone, was eradicated in 1980 due to a successful global vaccination campaign [3, 4]. Feel free to take a moment to marvel at these numbers, which only a handful of human inventions can rival.
Then why on Earth did some people choose to steer away from such a successful history?
It Runs Deep
The anti-vax sentiment has always gone hand-in-hand with vaccines. A stark example of the manifestation of such sentiment was the formation of the “London Society for the Abolition of Compulsory Vaccination” in the UK in 1880 Figure 2. This organization spread misinformation on vaccines, leading to significantly lower vaccination rates, which in turn caused outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like smallpox [5, 6].
Various, equally ridiculous, reasons can lead people to fall for the anti-vax trap. These include inherent mistrust in authority and personal beliefs or philosophies. Other, less ridiculous, reasons may include concerns about safety, which can be easily dispelled by any reasonable person, and historical medical scandals, such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Study that left a lasting impact on public trust in medical institutions and public health initiatives [7]. While I can sympathize with people who were damaged by such experiences to be hesitant of vaccines, I don’t think an extreme position helps, especially since medical research has undergone many ethical reforms associated with full transparency to stop things like that from ever happening again.
Even with this history of vaccine hesitancy, we still managed to maintain very reasonable global vaccination rates. However, this seems to have changed with the turn of the century. For example, the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccination rates in children in the UK were around 91% between 1994-1997 [8]. That dropped significantly to about 80% by 2003 [8]. So, what happened?
The Wakefield Paper: Unveiling the Deception
Ah, the infamous Wakefield paper. In 1998, Andrew Wakefield published a paper in The Lancet claiming a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. This paper was later found to be fraudulent, with Wakefield manipulating data and having undisclosed conflicts of interest [9, 10].
Let’s dive into the juicy details. Wakefield’s study was based on a whopping sample size of… twelve children. Yes, you read that right. Twelve. And these weren’t just any children; they were handpicked to fit his narrative. The study had no control group (children who did not receive the MMR vaccine), relied heavily on parental recall (because memories are always reliable, right?), and linked two common conditions (colitis and autism) without any solid evidence [9, 10].
But wait, there’s more! Wakefield had financial motives too. He was involved in a lawsuit against vaccine manufacturers and had a patent for a rival vaccine. Talk about a conflict of interest. He even stood to make millions from selling diagnostic kits for a non-existent syndrome he claimed to have discovered.
As a result of all this, the paper was retracted in 2010, and Wakefield was stripped of his medical license [9, 10]. Since the release of this bloody paper, numerous studies have been carried out and not one supported its conclusions. On the contrary, all of these papers had the exact opposite conclusion: there is absolutely no correlation between the MMR vaccine and autism!
One of these studies, published in 2019, was carried out in Denmark [11]. This study was one of the largest and most comprehensive studies to investigate the link between the MMR vaccine and autism. Researchers analyzed data from 657,461 children born between 1999 and 2010, following them from age one until August 2013. The study found no increased risk of autism in children who received the MMR vaccine compared to those who did not.
Pretty conclusive, right?! Well, not for anti-vaxxers who had already guzzled the Wakefield Kool-Aid. The damage was done!
Anti-Vax Greatest Hits
Despite the overwhelming evidence, anti-vaxxers continue to cling to several myths. So, let’s knock these down one at a time, shall we?
Vaccines contain harmful ingredients:
- Thimerosal: Thimerosal is a mercury-based preservative that was used in some vaccines. However, extensive research has shown that thimerosal is safe and does not cause autism. Moreover, thimerosal has been removed or reduced to trace amounts in all childhood vaccines since 2001 [12].
- Aluminum: Aluminum is used as an adjuvant in vaccines to enhance the immune response. The amount of aluminum in vaccines is minimal and well within safety limits. Studies have shown that the aluminum exposure from vaccines is much lower than what infants receive from their diet [13].
- Formaldehyde: The amount of formaldehyde in vaccines is much lower than what is naturally found in the human body and is not harmful [14].
Too many shots/antigens in a short time: Some argue that the current vaccine schedule overwhelms a child’s immune system. However, scientific evidence shows that children’s immune systems can handle multiple vaccines at once. The number of antigens children are exposed to through vaccines is much lower than what they encounter daily through natural exposure [15].
Natural Immunity is Better: Some anti-vaxxers argue that natural immunity from contracting a disease is better than vaccine-induced immunity. While natural immunity can be strong, it comes with the risk of severe illness, complications, and even death. Vaccines provide a safe way to develop immunity without these risks [16].
Vaccines Cause Autoimmune Diseases: There is a claim that vaccines can trigger autoimmune diseases. However, extensive research has shown no link between vaccines and autoimmune diseases. The benefits of vaccination far outweigh the minimal risks [17].
Vaccines Are Not Effective: Some argue that vaccines do not work and that vaccinated individuals still get sick. Tell that to smallpox, which was eradicated thanks to vaccines. No vaccine is 100% effective, but honestly, what is? Seat belts and helmets aren’t 100% effective either, yet we happily use them because we’re reasonable people trying to prevent serious injuries, even by a tiny bit. Even if you end up getting sick, vaccines significantly reduce the risk of spreading diseases, supporting herd immunity that helps protect those who cannot be vaccinated [3, 4].
Pharmaceutical Companies Profit from Vaccines: There is a belief that vaccines are pushed by pharmaceutical companies for profit. While companies do profit from vaccines, the primary goal of vaccination programs is public health. Vaccines save millions of lives and prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Also, don’t forget that numerous respectable scientists are involved in the process of vaccine productions. These are just people who have families that they too want to protect, which can only happen if the whole community is well protected by effective and safe vaccines.
Autism Cases are on the Rise: Anti-vaxxers often point to the rising prevalence of autism as evidence that vaccines are to blame. However, the increase in autism diagnoses is largely due to better awareness, improved diagnostic criteria, and broader definitions of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) [18, 19]. In other words, we’re getting better at recognizing and diagnosing autism, not causing it. As we mentioned earlier, numerous studies have shown no link between vaccines and autism [20]. So, while autism diagnoses are indeed on the rise, vaccines are not the culprit.
The Current Impact of the Anti-Vax Movement
The anti-vax movement has led to a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases. For instance, measles cases have spiked globally, with outbreaks in regions where vaccination rates have dropped. The World Health Organization has listed vaccine hesitancy as one of the top threats to global health [21].
The consequences of the anti-vax movement are dire. Unvaccinated individuals are at a higher risk of contracting and spreading diseases, leading to preventable illnesses and deaths. In some areas, previously eradicated diseases are making a comeback, putting vulnerable populations, such as infants and immunocompromised individuals, at risk [21].
The Theory of Stupidity: Connecting the Dots
The “Theory of Stupidity,” developed by German theologian and philosopher Dietrich Bonhoeffer, provides a framework for understanding the persistence and danger of movements like Lysenkoism and the anti-vax movement. Bonhoeffer argued that stupidity is more dangerous than evil because it can be manipulated and used by evil forces, and it often goes hand-in-hand with power [22, 23].
Bonhoeffer’s theory considers stupidity not just an intellectual deficiency but a sociological problem. He argues that stupidity can spread like a contagion, especially during times of rising power and influence. One key aspect of Bonhoeffer’s theory is that stupidity is resistant to reason and facts. When confronted with evidence that contradicts their beliefs, people entrenched in stupidity dismiss it outright. This makes them particularly dangerous because they become self-satisfied and hostile when challenged. Sound familiar?
The anti-vax movement is a modern manifestation of this principle. It thrives on misinformation, paranoia, and a deep distrust of expertise. Instead of Soviet propaganda, we now have social media algorithms amplifying nonsense at an unprecedented scale. The result? Parents refusing to vaccinate their kids because they believe in medical fairy tales spun by influencers with no medical training. It’s like Lysenkoism all over again—except this time, instead of Stalinist repression, we have the tyranny of viral stupidity [22, 23].
Conclusion
Let’s be clear: the evidence is overwhelming and irrefutable—vaccines save lives. Yet, despite all the scientific proof, anti-vaxxers cling to their misguided beliefs, putting everyone at risk. If you choose not to vaccinate your child and they end up sick, or worse, dead, that’s on you. And if your unvaccinated child infects someone else, especially a vulnerable person like an infant or someone with a compromised immune system, then their suffering and potential death are YOUR FAULT. This isn’t just about personal choice; it’s about public responsibility. Ignorance and stubbornness in the face of clear evidence aren’t just foolish—they’re dangerous.
And so, here we are, in a world where medical science has handed us the tools to prevent disease, yet we’re still battling outbreaks fueled by willful ignorance. If history has taught us anything, it’s that rejecting science in favor of ideological nonsense always ends in disaster. But hey, at least Lysenko didn’t have a YouTube channel to amplify his pseudoscience even further.
Citation
@misc{elmokadem2025,
author = {{Ahmed Elmokadem}},
title = {Anti-Vax: {A} {Case} {Study} in the {Theory} of {Stupidity}},
date = {2025-03-17},
url = {https://aelmokadem.github.io/aelmokadem/posts/vaccines-antivax/},
langid = {en-GB}
}