A RECENT GATHERING IN A QUALITY Inn ballroom in rural Bradley, Illinois, offered a glimpse—terrifying to most epidemiologists, thrilling to longtime vaccine “safety” activists—of America’s growing political divide over vaccinations and its implications for the nation’s health. Ostensibly, the meeting was a community forum about employer mandates for COVID vaccines that the organizer expected to draw 80 people in this overwhelmingly Republican exurb of Chicago. Instead, more than 300 people piled in, mostly to complain about the notion that anyone—a boss, a school, a government—could force them to take any vaccines at all. As one Libertarian county commissioner told the crowd: “I will fight for your right to believe in whatever god, medicine or way of life you choose.”
The event is being replicated in some form or another in cities and towns across America, emblematic of a growing grassroots movement of people who believe that vaccine mandates—for COVID, yes, but increasingly for other diseases as well—are an affront to their personal freedom. That represents a marked shift from pre-pandemic times, when vaccine opponents typically based their reasoning on medical concerns and were largely comprised of a few religious sects and a small number of left-leaning activists seeking explanations for rising rates of autism. As the anti-vaxx-mandate movement gains political traction, particularly on the right, medical experts fear it could not only cripple efforts to eradicate COVID but could also lead to a surge in long-conquered diseases, from mumps to whooping cough to smallpox.
This story is from the October 15, 2021 edition of Newsweek.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 15, 2021 edition of Newsweek.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
'We Are Facing the Most Complex Security Environment Since - World War II'
Japan's prime minister on security, diplomacy and protecting the rule of law at home, in Asia and around the world
Wildlife Crossings Are a Bear Necessity
Safe passages for animals under or over highways are reducing road collisions and could help them to adapt to climate change by seeking out new habitats
'I Don't Live My Life With the Cameras On'
Canada's first lady Sophie Grégoire Trudeau talks working through trauma, relationships in the public eye and her new book exploring mental health
AMERICA'S Maternity HOSPITALS 2024
THE ARRIVAL OF A HEALTHY BABY BRINGS UNPARALLELED joy. It's no wonder that families welcoming their newest members are looking for high-quality health care to ensure a smooth delivery and reliable postpartum care.
Trouble in Paradise
China's massive investment in Antigua potentially represents the greatest external challenge along America's 'third border' since the Cuban missile crisis
Five Ways to Keep Your Dog Healthy
We want our beloved dogs to live a long life, but also a healthy one not least to keep the bills down.
We're Struggling to Afford Our Furry Friends
The cost of caring for our four-legged companions has risen for nearly threequarters of Americans, leaving many owners concerned about financially supporting them
A Life of Crime: America's Migrant-Smuggling Teens
Money-motivated children as young as 14 are being targeted by cartels on social media to traffic people illegally into the US and it's just the start of their criminal journey
'I am always in the moment'
India's prime minister on his goals, his critics and his 'god-gifted' ability to listen
An Ecstatic Anniversary
Sarah McLachlan is touring this summer, 30 years after the release of ‘Fumbling Towards Ecstasy,' the album that made her a star