Re: Herd Immunity
Reply #8 –
The Kiwi measles “epidemic” is largely restricted to South Auckland; an impoverished area with a many residents of Pacific Islander heritage. I’m generalising, but the fundamentalist Christian cults have many Pacific Islander adherents and that may be a factor in low vaccination rates.
One study found that anti-vaxxer activists generally fit into the following categories:
1. Trust: People who emphasised suspicion of the scientific community and concerns about personal liberty;
2. Alternatives: People who focused on chemicals in vaccines and the use of homeopathic remedies instead of vaccination;
3. Safety: People focused on perceived risks and concerns about vaccination being immoral; and
4. Conspiracy: People who believe that the government hides information that this subgroup believes to be facts, for example, that the polio virus does not exist.
There may well be the odd inner city left winger or middle class elite among that lot but others could well be influenced by their messages. Your hippies, vegan activists, Christian fundamentalists and extremist right wing nutters are more likely to embrace anti-vaxxing.
As tonyo commented, that’s natural selection, but others will suffer as well.