In relation to the article published by Andrew Wakefield, two big conspiracy theories surfaced. One conspiracy is that "Big Pharma" produces vaccines for personal agendas. The other well-known conspiracy is that vaccines aren't safe to take at all.
Pharmaceutical companies provide vaccines, medications, and treatments for people throughout the medical industry. Many people argue that these companies are “covering up information about vaccines to meet their own sinister objectives” and “bribe researchers to fake their data” in order to make a healthy profit (Jolley et al). What aids in this conspiracy is that the “pharmaceutical industry has been one of the most profitable industries over the last twenty-five years” (Goldacre 150). In fact, “repeated analyses have shown that trials funded by the industry are 2 to 5 times more likely to recommend an experimental drug compared with trials funded by nonprofit organizations” (Brezis 84). It’s hard not to believe that pharmaceutical companies would be in the business of making money rather than providing medications that would help the medical community when there is so much evidence against them.
Many people believe vaccines are not safe to take because of many false statements made by pharmaceutical companies. “Attempts by companies to minimize, deny or hide adverse effects by COX-2 inhibitors have shed an important light on what may be in fact common tactics” (Brezis 84). Many people also believe that the pharmaceutical companies “cover up evidence of the harmful side effects of vaccines and inflate statistics on vaccine efficacy” (Jolley et al). This could deter many people from getting vaccines if they believe this to be true. If research were shared with people with correct, reproducible results, many people would be more likely to get vaccines as suggested by medical personnel.
A published article by Andrew Wakefield sparked a lot of controversy throughout the world and the medical community. Many conspiracy theories surfaced, and people began to question the pharmaceutical companies and other vaccines. These conspiracies will live in minds forever but hopefully more people will take vaccines as recommended in order to protect themselves.
