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President | Stephanie Stock [1] [2] |
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| Website | ohioamf |
| This article is part of a series on |
| Alternative medicine |
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Ohio Advocates for Medical Freedom (OAMF) is one of the main anti-vaccination organizations in Ohio. A non-profit group, it frequently lobbies politicians to favor legislative action designed to weaken Ohio's vaccination coverage.
OAMF intervenes to oppose legislative measures that promote vaccine coverage in the state or education about immunization, and to support those that make it easier for people to forego vaccination. [3] The group testified in favor of a 2021 Ohio senate bill creating a bicameral committee to examine public health measures from Ohio Department of Health and the Governor before they are implemented. The legislation was opposed by Governor Mike DeWine and by several of the state's health authorities, arguing that it would impede their ability to react quickly to new information about the COVID-19 epidemic. [4] During the 2018–2019 measles outbreaks in some regions of the United States, the group's president, Stephanie Stock, opposed restricting vaccination exemptions, insisting "the biggest percentage complication with measles is diarrhea". The disease ranks among the most contagious and it kills one or two children out of 1,000 affected. [5] [6] Arguments against vaccination are contradicted by overwhelming scientific consensus about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. [7] [8] [9] [10]
OAMF is the driving force behind attempts to put anti-vaccination language into Ohio's constitution. In June 2022, the Ohio Ballot Board approved the wording of a constitutional amendment that would, if adopted, prevent public and private institutions from requiring vaccinations as a condition of employment or other reasons. If the measure, called "Medical Right to Refuse", is supported by a petition of at least 443,000 Ohio Ohioans, it will be included on the ballot as a referendum in an upcoming statewide election. [11] [12] [13] [14]
OAMF's Facebook page served as the main fundraising instrument for a lawsuit asking the court to rescind the measures taken by the State to prevent the spread of COVID-19, such as mask-wearing. The lawsuit, filed in November by a group called Ohio Stand Up, repeats the usual misinformation associated with the pandemic, including that the number of deaths have been inflated by public health authorities. [15]
Like other similar groups, OAMF objects to being labelled "anti-vaccine", preferring the euphemism "medical freedom". [1] [2] The group has campaigned to weaken school immunization requirements, [1] and opposed the obligation for hospital employees to get vaccinated against the flu. [16]
In 2017, their members planned to distribute anti-vaccination messages printed on cards with Halloween candy, raising objections from the Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. [17]
YouTube pulled some of their videos in February 2021 as part of the social media platform's efforts to curb the dissemination of misinformation related to COVID-19, but the group's account remained active. [18]
Vaccine hesitancy is a delay in acceptance, or refusal, of vaccines despite the availability of vaccine services and supporting evidence. The term covers refusals to vaccinate, delaying vaccines, accepting vaccines but remaining uncertain about their use, or using certain vaccines but not others. Although adverse effects associated with vaccines are occasionally observed, the scientific consensus that vaccines are generally safe and effective is overwhelming. Vaccine hesitancy often results in disease outbreaks and deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases. Therefore, the World Health Organization characterizes vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten global health threats.
Vaccination and religion have interrelations of varying kinds. No major religion prohibits vaccinations, and some consider it an obligation because of the potential to save lives. However, some people cite religious adherence as a basis for opting to forego vaccinating themselves or their children. Many such objections are pretextual: in Australia, anti-vaccinationists founded the Church of Conscious Living, a "fake church", leading to religious exemptions being removed in that country, and one US pastor was reported to offer vaccine exemptions in exchange for online membership of his church.
A vaccine adverse event (VAE), sometimes referred to as a vaccine injury, is an adverse event believed to have been caused by vaccination. The World Health Organization (WHO) knows VAEs as Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI).
A vaccination policy is a health policy adopted in order to prevent the spread of infectious disease. These policies are generally put into place by state or local governments, but may also be set by private facilities, such as workplaces or schools. Many policies have been developed and implemented since vaccines were first made widely available.
Sherri J. Tenpenny is an American anti-vaccination activist and conspiracy theorist who promulgates disproven hypotheses that vaccines cause autism. An osteopathic physician by training, she is the author of four books opposing vaccination. In 2023 the State Medical Board of Ohio indefinitely suspended Tenpenny's medical license for failure to participate in its investigations. Her license was restored in 2024.
Anti-vaccinationism in chiropractic is widespread, but there are notable differences within the trade. Chiropractic is a form of alternative medicine founded on the idea that all disease is caused by disruption of the flow of "innate" in the spine, by so-called vertebral subluxations – a pseudoscientific concept. Over time chiropractic has divided into "straights" who adhere to the subluxation theory and "mixers" who adhere more closely to a reality-based view of anatomy. "Straight" chiropractors are very likely to be anti-vaccination, but all chiropractic training tends to reduce acceptance of vaccines.
Children's Health Defense (CHD) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit activist group mainly known for anti-vaccine disinformation, and which has been called one of the main sources of misinformation on vaccines. Founded under the name World Mercury Project in 2007, it is chaired by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The group has been campaigning against various public health programs, such as vaccination and fluoridation of drinking water. The group has been contributing to vaccine hesitancy in the United States, encouraging citizens and legislators to support anti-vaccine regulations and legislation. Arguments against vaccination are contradicted by overwhelming scientific consensus about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. Its $15-million budget is funded through donations from individuals and affiliate marketing revenues.
Vaccine Choice Canada (VCC) is Canada's main anti-vaccination group. It was founded in the 1980s under the name Vaccination Risk Awareness Network (VRAN) and adopted its current name in 2014. The group has been contributing to vaccine hesitancy in Canada, encouraging citizens to forgo immunization and legislators to support anti-vaccine regulations and legislation.
Del Matthew Bigtree is an American television and film producer who is the CEO of the anti-vaccination group Informed Consent Action Network. He produced the film Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe, based on the discredited opinions of Andrew Wakefield, and alleges an unsubstantiated connection between vaccines and autism. His frequent public speaking engagements and an influx of funding in 2017 have made Bigtree, who has no medical training, one of the most prominent voices in the anti-vaccination movement.
The Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN) is one of the main anti-vaccination groups in the United States. Founded in 2016 by Del Bigtree, it spreads misinformation about the risks of vaccines and contributes to vaccine hesitancy, which has been identified by the World Health Organization as one of the top ten global health threats of 2019. Arguments against vaccination are contradicted by overwhelming scientific consensus about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines.
The Stop Mandatory Vaccination website and associated Facebook group are some of the major hubs of the American anti-vaccination movement. It was established by anti-vaccination activist Larry Cook in 2015.
Suzie Pollock is an American politician who served as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives from the 123rd district. A member of the Republican Party, she was elected in 2018 and assumed office in 2019.
Helen Aspasia Petousis-Harris is a New Zealand vaccinologist and associate professor in the Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care at the University of Auckland. She has been involved in research related to vaccination in New Zealand since 1998, with her main areas of focus being vaccine safety and effectiveness. Petousis-Harris has had a variety of lead roles in New Zealand and international organisations that focus on vaccination and is a regular media spokesperson in this field, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Misinformation related to immunization and the use of vaccines circulates in mass media and social media in spite of the fact that there is no serious hesitancy or debate within mainstream medical and scientific circles about the benefits of vaccination. Unsubstantiated safety concerns related to vaccines are often presented on the internet as being scientific information. A large proportion of internet sources on the topic are mostly inaccurate which can lead people searching for information to form misconceptions relating to vaccines.
Jennifer Gross is an American politician and former nurse serving as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 45th district. Elected in 2020, she took office in 2021. During her tenure in the state House, she has been a leading supporter of anti-vaccine legislation. Her voting record has shown a general tendency towards big government. She has promoted white supremacist Nick Fuentes via social media.
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the United States is the sociocultural phenomenon of individuals refusing or displaying hesitance towards receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the United States can be considered as part of the broader history of vaccine hesitancy.
In many countries, the dissemination of varied claims and perspectives regarding COVID-19 vaccines has sparked widespread public discussion. These include concerns about potential side effects, differing interpretations of how the immune system responds to vaccination, and debates over the development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Additionally, stories such as COVID-19 being linked to 5G technology and other debated information have also emerged. This spread of information, including content from anti-vaccination advocates, may have influenced people's attitudes towards vaccination. In response, governments and private organizations around the world have introduced measures to encourage or mandate vaccination, such as lotteries, mandates, and free entry to events. These measures have further fueled debates about their legality and effectiveness.
Joseph Abiodun Ladapo is the surgeon general of Florida since 2021. He has been warned by the CDC for promoting COVID-19 misinformation, vaccine hesitancy, and opposing various measures to control COVID-19. "This has led to unnecessary death, severe illness and hospitalization."
The Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) is a law in Ontario, Canada, that requires children and adolescents under the age of 18 to receive certain vaccinations to attend primary and secondary school unless a valid exemption is provided, which includes medical, religious, and conscience exemptions. The law applies to both private and public schools. ISPA was adopted in 1990 and was last amended in 2017.
Anti-vaccine activism, which collectively constitutes the "anti-vax" movement, is a set of organized activities proclaiming opposition to vaccination, and these collaborating networks have often fought to increase vaccine hesitancy by disseminating vaccine-based misinformation and/or forms of active disinformation. As a social movement, it has utilized multiple tools both within traditional news media and also through various forms of online communication. Activists have primarily focused on issues surrounding children, with vaccination of the young receiving pushback, and they have sought to expand beyond niche subgroups into national political debates.