If there’s any crazypants progressive idea that just won’t quit, it’s the debunked, disproven, straight-up dangerous idea that “Big Pharma” is using vaccines to poison children for fun and profit.
Over the last few years, a clique of predominately liberal celebs have given Anti-Vax conspiracy theories potentially deadly visibility and credibility thanks to their media-backed ability to share their every little thought, no matter how ill-informed. There are, of course, flag-waving Anti-Vaxxers, but perhaps worse still are the Anti-Vax enablers who seem more sane by insisting that vaccination is a personal issue of “parental choice”
Well, fair’s fair. If they can use their notoriety, social-media following, and lefty credentials to set medicine back a century or two, then we can call them out as the anti-science haters they are.
Bill Maher
The king of liberal smarm, Maher hedged his Anti-Vax bet when he told Playboy magazine, “I’ve never argued that vaccines don’t work. I just don’t think you need them.” Um, tell that to the millions of people who would die without them, Bill.
Alicia Silverstone
Remember her? Well, she’s recently become famous again for mothering out loud and online, and doing a rather odd job of it. As she said in her book on the subject, “There is increasing anecdotal evidence from doctors who have gotten distressed phone calls from parents claiming their child was ‘never the same’ after receiving a vaccine. And I personally have friends whose babies were drastically affected in this way.” Would you look at that girl? She is so adorably clueless.
Dr. Oz
America’s favorite televised cardiothoracic surgeon and snake-oil salesman said vaccines may make children, “more susceptible to some of the toxins maybe our generation was able to overcome. That`s why we have a lot more allergies now. Perhaps one of the reasons why we have more autism. But I don`t think it`s just the vaccine.” Anti-Vaxxers cheered. He then allowed a pro-vaccination article by another doctor to appear on his website. Anti-Vaxxers fumed. Still, the damage had been done.
Jenny McCarthy
Perhaps the Ur Anti-Vax celeb, McCarthy was bold enough to suggest that vaccines gave her child autism. But that’s okay, she nurtured her son into “recovery” from the neurologically hardwired condition through a gluten-free diet. She’s since softened her stance on both claims due to public outcry, but she’s still the queen of this one.
Jim Carrey
Carrey, who had been with McCarthy at the time, famously parroted her views in a winding, paranoid article on, yep, The Huffington Post. Distance from McCarthy seems to have either changed his mind or, at least, quieted him down, however.
Kirstie Alley
Ugh, this one. Alley, a vocal and high-ranking Scientologist, has been at the celeb forefront of the “right to choose” wing of the Anti-Vaxxer horde, a coalition of like-minded people who believe that parents have the right to endanger their own children and those of others because of what they read on Reddit boards, Dianetics, and horoscopes. Fellow Scientologists including Juliette Lewis, Jenna Elfman, and many more are right there with her.
Kristen Cavallari
We’d give you points for not knowing who the former reality star and NFL wife is. Alas, millions of loving fans do. “There are very scary statistics out there regarding what is in vaccines and what they cause,” she said out loud once, “asthma, allergies, ear infections, all kinds of things.” Yes, indeed, those statistics would be scary, if they were in any way real.
Charlie Sheen
You’re not surprised, are you? Actually, it’s probably a good thing he fought against vaccinating his own children. Who wants to believe what this guy believes?
Robert De Niro
Bob isn’t an Anti-Vax activist who’s out there waving a flag on the front lines. Rather, he’s one of the more insidious, potentially more dangerous sort: the visible and otherwise credible public figure who thinks there’s a worthy dialogue to be had and questions to be answered. Sure, he folded when the public demanded he spike an Anti-Vax documentary from his Tribeca Film Festival, but only because people spoke up. Otherwise, it would have been a highpoint of Anti-Vax history.
Jill Stein
Is Dr. Jill Stein PhD. really a celebrity? Well, even she’s admitted her run for president is less about actually getting into the Oval Office and more about getting attention. Is she really Anti-Vaxx? Well, despite her medical background, she’s refused to dismiss the dismissible theory for fear of losing the loonier side of her Green Party constituency, which is honestly just as bad. Is she really even a doctor? Well, technically yes—but only technically.
Donald Trump
The ultimate celebrity, the most famous enabler.