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[Anarion07]

Hey GAF, since I'm finally a member now, I decided to start my first thread.
And for my first thread I have to go for a topic which really troubles me.

My brother and his girlfriend had a child last year, a really adorable little girl.
She's been a great mother in every aspect you could think of, providing her with the best care, best food and best overall treatment you could think of.

Which makes one really negative point stand out even more;
She does not want her kid vaccinated.

My brother and I are biologists (he is finishing his PhD next year, I'm in my master's degree), so we both know how important it is, and how much the autism etc. statements about vaccinations are wrong.
But he can't get through to her.
Apart from that he's really happy with her, so he does not want child services or similar things involved, and he can't just take her to the doc to get her vaccinated because that would mean a definite end of the relationship and planned marriage.

Today during dinner him and me talked about this for a long while, and we ended up with the conclusion that we DEFINITELY need the Polio shot for her.
Things like tetanus, MMR etc. .are of course gravely important, but we can wait for that.
Polio is a must though.

I told my brother I'm in this huge forum with a lot of people who are... keen to debate.. and I will ask them for help.

So my fellow gaffers, my question to you:

How do we convince her to get the kid vaccinated for Polio, at least?
(She is resistant to scientific publications and such)
As far as I know her two main arguments are:
- Aluminium in the vaccination
- potential long-term effects

Are there ways to get a custom-manufactured vaccination without Aluminium or in her eyes „harmful“ substances?
(I'm aware this might cost a lot, but that's not an issue)


tl:dr
Brother's girlfriend doesn't want child vaccinated.
We want to convince her to vaccinate against polio at least.
Bring me your ideas.

Please don't derail this thread into a pro and contra vaccination debate.
It's solely about Polio.

 

[Trouble]

Get her vaccinated and don't tell the mom.

 

[number47]

Teddy had polio and still became president. Look on the bright side

 

[Stinkles]

Ask her if she objects to scientific consensus on how fucking cars work.

 

[linkboy]

Do you, or they, live in an area where polio is still prevalent?

 

[terrisus]

She's been a great mother in every aspect you could think of, providing her with the best care, best food and best overall treatment you could think of.

I don't think you get to claim all of that stuff when:

She does not want her kid vaccinated.

(She is resistant to scientific publications and such)

 

[NoRéN]

How do we convince her to get the kid vaccinated for Polio, at least?
(She is resistant to scientific publications and such)
As far as I know her two main arguments are:
- Aluminium in the vaccination
- potential long-term effects

Are they aware of the potential long term effects of polio?

 

[Amory]

I dunno dude. If she's anti-vaccine she's clearly not a rational thinker so it's gonna be hard to argue with her or convince her to just let the kid get the polio vaccine.

If it were my kid I'd take her to get the shots and deal with the relationship fallout. I'm gonna protect my kid because it's what's best for her.

 

[Prologue]

shouldn't he had this talk with her before kids?

 

[SquiddyCracker]

That's child abuse.
Call the police.

 

[Deleted member 80556]

The Aluminum is not elemental aluminum and is used to maintain the vaccine integrity or to even improve its effects.

The long term effects? She doesn't get polio and gets to walk for her life.

Also, good luck, man. Anti-vax people don't listen to reason, so there's a good chance she'll just ignore you. If the girl does get polio, she's gonna learn a tough lesson.

 

[HUELEN10]

Get her vaccinated and don't tell the mom.

That is not right and you know it, even if it is the smart thing to do.

 

[Anarion07]

Get her vaccinated and don't tell the mom.

Not an option, she's with her 24/7.

Do you, or they, live in an area where polio is still prevalent?

Germany. But it can still happen. It's not just a risk worth taking.

 

[Unknown One]

Go history lesson on her ass. Show what it was like back then when Polio was rampant. If she still disagree, then she has a screw loose.

 

[bloodforge]

There's no reasoning with anti-vaccers. Nothing you or your brother say will change her mind.

 

[Valhelm]

Good fucking luck. Maybe show her the Penn and Teller clip?

 

[Fox Mulder]

You can stack facts a mile high and these people wont change their minds.

 

[Neoweee]

Teddy had polio and still became president. Look on the bright side

Wrong Roosevelt, or both had it?

 

[clav]

Ask the girlfriend if she has her vaccinations.

If she does, then she has no argument.

 

[blahness]

Do you, or they, live in an area where polio is still prevalent?

Isn't Pakistan the only place it is still prevalent and only still because of ignorance of the safety or intent of vaccinations?

 

[NYCmetsfan]

Are you in the US or Europe?

As of 2008, polio remains endemic in only three countries: Nigeria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

 

[FStop7]

She's been a great mother in every aspect you could think of, providing her with the best care, best food and best overall treatment you could think of.

Which makes one really negative point stand out even more;
She does not want her kid vaccinated.

The first thing your brother needs to do is come to terms with the fact that the first bolded statement is demonstrably false.

 

[terrisus]

Teddy had polio and still became president. Look on the bright side

Wrong Roosevelt

 

[darkwing]

There's no reasoning with anti-vaccers. Nothing you or your brother say will change her mind.

this, people can be so stubborn

 

[Maximus.]

I don't understand how this is a thing. What is wrong with some people these days and parenting their children specifically?

 

[Fiktion]

An uncle of mine had polio.

You don't want polio.

Show her some pictures and videos of polio.

 

[nhlducks35]

Don't use facts if you argue with her

 

[Sephzilla]

Ask the girlfriend if she has her vaccinations.

If she does, then she has no argument.

I actually like this suggestion.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

An uncle of mine had polio.

You don't want polio.

Show her some pictures and videos of polio.

It won't do anything

 

[xxracerxx]

Make her watch this Nova episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xm9mZ9j-oQ

I doubt it will work though....stubborn people who are "resistant to scientific publications" will not take reason over celebrity endorsement.

Your brother should have had this talk with her before having a child.

 

[number47]

Wrong Roosevelt

Teddy and Theodore are the same person. Are t they?

 

[Napoleonthechimp]

Guilt trip.

Show her pictures of kids with Polio related deformities and tell her there is no cure if her baby does get it.

 

[Bizazedo]

An uncle of mine had polio.

You don't want polio.

Show her some pictures and videos of polio.

This.

Also, ask her why she's scared. Try to get to the root of the issue.

Third, if she still refuses and the brother feels that adamant about it....threaten to leave. Shake her to her core.

 

[Fox Mulder]

I don't understand how this is a thing. What is wrong with some people these days and parenting their children specifically?

We live in a safe world where bullshit like this can survive as a movement. It wouldn't exist if kids were still dying of polio.

 

[Metaroo]

Get her vaccinated and don't tell the mom.

This OP. Why does the mom need to know? Keep her ignorant.

 

[Anarion07]

There's no reasoning with anti-vaccers. Nothing you or your brother say will change her mind.

That's exactly our problem.

She herself has her vaccinations.

And Cratatak, that's exactly what I thought of, too.
Showing her what happens when you get polio.

 

[Count of Monte Sawed-Off]

Teddy had polio and still became president. Look on the bright side

Teddy!?

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

Please don't derail this thread into a pro and contra vaccination debate. It's solely about Polio.

There is no debate. Parents need to have their children vaccinated.

 

[Mindlog]

Study: Nothing Changes an Anti-Vaxxers Mind
Mississippi has mandatory vaccination.

Their autism rates are pitiful though. Go Vikings:

Show her the chart and report back with your findings.

 

[RangerBAD]

I don't understand how this is a thing. What is wrong with some people these days and parenting their children specifically?

Because people believe every outrageous thing they see/read on the internet.

 

[Spaced Harrier]

Break her legs so she can walk a mile in a polio victim's shoes.

Or not.

 

[FStop7]

The virtual eradication of polio and smallpox are two of the great medical success stories of the 20th century.

People like Jenny McCarthy are shitting on the work of people like Jonas Salk. And they are legitimately opening the door for those diseases to make their return.

 

[Brakke]

My gramps had polio. Came through it basically unscathed thankfully. His sister had it too and couldn't really walk for her whole life.

She does understand that the vaccine is effective? Can't you play the numbers on this one? Assume vaccines and only vaccines cause autism, derive some autism rate by dividing autism count over total population. "X% of polio cases kill, Y% cripple; Z% vaccines cause autism". I bet Z won't be that scary. Move away from general "vaccines cause autism (or whatever)" and into "at what rate".

 

[AntoneM]

Either you two wear her down until she does it or if/when they get married have your brother be an adoptive parent and as legal guardian he should be able to have the child vaccinated.

 

[Angry Grimace]

If my wife said "we're not vaccinating our kid" I would do it anyways and tell her piss off. If she persisted, I'd tell her to get the fuck out; I don't consider that a negotiable issue, even with my wife.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

That's exactly our problem.

She herself has her vaccinations.

And Cratatak, that's exactly what I thought of, too.
Showing her what happens when you get polio.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=984416&highlight=

The fourth message was to show parents pictures of children afflicted with the diseases they could get without vaccination. Both the pictures and the horrible story about measles increased parental fears about vaccinations. Researchers don't know why but theorize that the problem might be that invoking fears of sick children just makes parents more fearful in general of all risks, whether real or imagined. The cooler, more distant "disease risks" message didn't change parents' minds either way, but what was most startling was what happened with the message correcting misinformation on autism:

 

[terrisus]

Teddy and Theodore are the same person. Are t they?

Yes.

Spoiler

Still the wrong Roosevelt

Spoiler

Franklin Roosevelt

 

[RevDM]

MMR is probably more important than IPV in the USA

 

[ampere]

Explain to her the effects of polio? I mean even if that wacky vaccine shit were true, it'd be that vs potential polio... should still be an easy choice.

Hindsight, but this is def the type of thing to discuss before having kids if possible. Is she otherwise sane? That sounds like a totally uneducated and irrational PoV

Get her vaccinated and don't tell the mom.

Probably not the best for a long term successful relationship. She will find out at a future doctor visit.

 

[HUELEN10]

Teddy and Theodore are the same person. Are t they?

I don't want to take the bait, but you are really rustling my jimmies right now...