It’s frightening to consider the number of anti-vaxxer parents out there, who trust blog posts and sketchy forums over weighty scientific research.
But what is even more troubling is when high-profile individuals spout such shaky – not to mention dangerous – beliefs, lending false credibility to anti-vaxxer beliefs.
20-year-old Shanelle Cartwright, the wife of Australian National Rugby League star Bryce Cartwright, has admitted they are both anti-vaxxers.
Shanelle, who is pregnant with the couple’s second child, has stated she has chosen not to vaccinate their children, and has since received messages of support from fellow anti-vaxxers.
Speaking with fans during an Instagram Q&A session, Shanelle admitted:
I remember he [Bryce] was so defensive when I first brought it up and got angry at me for even suggesting that we shouldn’t vaccinate.
And then he read a package insert and few pages of one of Dr Suzanne Humphries books and saw vaccines under a different light. And now we’re here.
When asked what she would do if unvaccinated kids were one day banned from schools, Shanelle said:
They can go to school [so far]… if the law changes, I’ll home school before I vaccinate.
Shanelle revealed she hadn’t vaccinated her first son, Koa, and will not vaccinate her unborn child when the time comes.
Many people have expressed outrage at Shanelle’s misguided views, with one person tweeting:
Interesting that Shanelle Cartwright bases her decisions on the vast knowledge gleaned from her 20 whole years on the planet, and a homeopath whose views are diametrically opposed to 99% of the scientific community.
Another said:
What on earth is the POINT of publishing this?? To make non vaccination seem somehow “cool” or “on trend” instead of wilfully ignorant negligence. I’m seething!!
Health bodies are entirely transparent in why they promote vaccination, and the positive results they’ve seen since the availability of immunisation.
According to the NHS website:
Because of vaccinations, we no longer see smallpox, and polio has almost been eradicated.
No wonder vaccination is considered a modern miracle.
Vaccination is one of the greatest breakthroughs in modern medicine.
No other medical intervention has done more to save lives and improve quality of life.
Likeiwse the World Health Organisation (WHO) state:
Vaccine hesitancy – the reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines – threatens to reverse progress made in tackling vaccine-preventable diseases.
Vaccination is one of the most cost-effective ways of avoiding disease – it currently prevents 2-3 million deaths a year, and a further 1.5 million could be avoided if global coverage of vaccinations improved.
In a world where it is cool to be an outsider, the health of children is hardly the place to wilfully ignore empirical data.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.