There are a lot of anti-vaccine myths, repeated ad nauseam by the gullible. It takes time to keep up. Here's one that goes around.
This was posted by a young woman in Georgia who is ardently anti-vaccine and anti-circumcision. She does not seem to have much evidence for either position, but she holds them emphatically nontheless. And, yes, I've obscured her name and image:
Those who get medicaid... Please research the vaccines you get with state insurance. They are 5x more dangerous. For your loved ones, please do this research. I cannot stress it enough.
Note that this particular counterfactual claims had 38 Facebook likes, and was shared 12 times.
So, what are "medicaid vaccines"? I believe the young woman was referring to vaccines provided through the Vaccines For Children (VFC)program.
....Vaccines For Children, a federal government initiative started in 1994 to provide vaccines at no cost to children who might not otherwise be vaccinated because of inability to pay. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) buys vaccines at a discount and distributes them across the country so doctors and clinics can give kids free shots.
This program:
At the mysteriously named page, Vaccines for Children Program CDC Vaccine Price List you can see the actual price lists (click to embiggen; there are several images):
U.S. free vaccine program tied to reduced disparities for kids
The Vaccines for Children program has improved health outcomes for low-income children. I hope we can all agree this is a good thing
Racial and ethnic disparities in vaccination rates have declined since the U.S. started a free childhood vaccine program more than two decades ago, but affluent and white youth are still more likely to get shots than their low-income and non-white peers, a recent study suggests.
So the facts of the matter are: "Medicaid vaccines" are the exact same product that given to children not on medicaid. The VFC vaccines are the exact same products given to children whose parents whose income is too high to qualify for the VFC program.
Here is an example of how an anti-vaccine myth gets started and is promoted...
Original Poster: Those who get medicaid... Please research the vaccines you get with state insurance. They are 5x more dangerous. For your loved ones, please do this research. I cannot stress it enough.
First Responder: Can you make this public?
Original Poster: Done.
Second Responder: What's the differences? Different companies?
First Responder: They use cheaper more dangerous ones
HOLD on a minute here, ladies (and yes, except for one father, later in the conversation, they are all women talking). This is pure proctomancy.
As we have seen, above, there is no evidence for this assertion and a lot of evidence against it. Back to the conversation amongst these not-so-knowledgeable but very, very sure women.
Second Responder: Really?
First Responder: Yeah frown emoticon sick
Second Responder: Really? So what if the office accepts medicsid plus private they have different vsccines?
Second Responder: Gross
Original Poster: Yes. Private stock vaccines
First Responder: Someone just addressed that in another comment, said they keep them seperate unsure emoticon
Third Responder: Yep. They have a totally different set for private insurance vs government. My friend in the medical field confirmed
So, here is the flat assertion that there there are "pure", "private stock" vaccines for some people, and lesser, cheaper vaccines for the hoi polloi. Although it is true that, in pediatric and family medicine practices that are VFC providers and purchase vaccines on the open market, the two sources must be kept separate and be accounted for separately.
Second Responder: That is crazy I'm curious to know what brands just so i can research
Fourth Responder: That's so friggin crazy!!
Fifth Responder: Yeah we have 2 different sets of vaccines at the peds office I work at. If we don't get a delivery from the statebthen we don't do any medicaid vaccinations for that one
Second Responder: Fifth Responder, do you know the companies
I had high hopes that Second Responder might have enough skeptical chops to look into the VFC program and discover that the vaccines purchased by the government are the exact same products sold on the open market. I was doomed to disappointment. However, it is true that the VFC vaccines are managed separately -- cannot be intermingled or used in place of non-VFC vaccines --because the VFC program demands separate accounting.
Fifth Responder: Second Responder, I don't but I can do some digging around this next week
Second Responder: I want to compare inserts
OH NO! The argument by vaccine insert! It's a hallmark of parents who deprive their children of needed vaccines (AKA anti-vaxxers). See Skeptical Raptor's post, Argument By Vaccine Package Inserts – Debunking Myths:
One of the cherished strategies of the antivaccine group is to quote vaccine package inserts (called a Patient Information Leaflet in EU countries and Instructions for Use in other cases) to “prove” that vaccines are dangerous.
Vaccine deniers consider the package insert to be golden tablets of the Truth™. It’s ironic that these antivaccine groupies rail against Big Pharma, as if they are demon reptilians, but the package insert, written by Big Pharma, is considered gospel. Irony abounds.
Back to the conversation amongst the knowledgeable women:
Original Poster: Write an article!
Sixth Responder: Tony Murray
Second Responder: We have kaiser but switching to cigna.
Original Poster:: Population control on the poor. Sick.
Seventh Responder: Yes!! People on Medicaid get different vaccines! They are made cheaper and far more dangerous. They keep them seperate from the vaccines they give those on private insurance.
Notice the repetition of proctomancy: They are made cheaper and far more dangerous. No proof necessary, just repeat the falsehood.
Back to the conversation amongst the knowledgeable women:
Eighth Responder: Can you post a link? I'd love to read about it.
Original Poster: Was being discussed in an intact group! I dont have an article but so many nurses and medical professionals have confirmed. I could try and look online though
Eighth Responder: Ok thanks I'll look online, I'm sure it's online.
Original Poster: I am quite sure
Ninth Responder: It's called Vaccines For Children!
Finally! Do you think the knowledgeable women will actually, you know, do their research?...Again doomed to disappointment
Second Responder: Those who do dif schedule vax can they request the other brand.
Original Poster: I dont believe you can request it because they are trying to hide it from people.
Ninth Responder: I'm in pa. I consented to my son getting Dtap. I have Medicaid. The box was marked VFC.
Second Responder: Vfc??
Original Poster: Vaccines for children she said
Second Responder: I just caught on
Original Poster: Infant denied flu vaccine because his family has insurance http://m.wcyb.com/news/infant-denied-flu-vaccine-because-his-family-has-insurance/29329808 [a not very informative news article about a woman who took her infant to a County Health clinic for a flu vaccine, because her child's pediatrician was out of vaccines. The reporter did little to explain how the VFC program works. This is not "proof" that there are different vaccines for private-pay and Medicaid children.]
Tenth Responder: How weird! This is exactly where I live. Well the surrounding area. I seen wcyb.. lol
Original Poster: It makes me happy seeing some people like this post that normally dont like my anti vax stuff.
Eleventh Responder: If you follow my often numerous posts...you should know I got your back on this subject. I've actually taken some time to research it, while others love to deny my research and have not a clue about shit. Keep it up proud momma
Original Poster: Good for you. Youre an awesome dad.
Twelfth Responder: I can't find anything saying these vaccines contain more harmful ingredients though. Anyone have anything on that?
HELLO, Twelfth Responder! Will any of the previous commenters come up with something substantive? Well, Thirteenth Responder makes a try.
Thirteenth Responder: https://wicworks.fns.usda.gov/wicworks//Learning_Center/mailing/FinalParentsGuideEnglish.pdf
Thirteenth Responder only posted the link. Here is what is at the link:
Immunizing children against certain diseases is one important way to help them stay healthy. WIC’s mission is to be a partner with other services that are key to childhood and family well-being, such as immunizations. You are encouraged to bring your child’s shot record to your WIC appointments so that WIC staff can review that record and make sure that your child is up-to-date on all of his or her vaccines. If not, WIC staff will suggest a place you can go to get your child the vaccines he or she needs.
If your children do not have health insurance, are Medicaid-eligible, or are underinsured, they may be able to receive free vaccines at their doctor’s office through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program. For more information on the VFC Program, see the Q&A page in this Guide or visit www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/vfc/parents/default.htm
Darn. WicWorks does not come right out and say that the VFC vaccines are exactly the same vaccines purchased on the open market. I think this is a marketing or message fail on the part of VFC. (Note: WIC = The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides Federal grants to States for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk.)
Original Poster: Didnt want it public cause now pro vaxxers... Smfh
Darn. Original Poster cannot see outside of her conspiracy blinders. It would not matter, but she seems to be an opinion leader in her circle.
Thirtheenth Responder: Not starting anything it's your opinion not to and our to do it but I take my now two month old to the dr on Monday and I will be asking about it and my boyfriends a dick so I know we will get answers
Original Poster: Your poor two month old. I'll be praying he has no adverse reactions..
Sigh. Another myth: that adverse reactions are common. They are not.
Thirteenth Responder: Thank you if I do not get answers he will NOT be getting shots!
Original Poster: GOOD!!
Sixth Responder: Tony Murray
Fourteenth Responder: And the people who have a primary and a secondary insurance
Fifteenth Responder: Anyone know anything about any differences in dental based care between medicaid and private insurance???
Fifteenth Responder: What about maternity care/labor and delivery????
Fifteenth Responder: Prescription meds??
Original Poster: I dont Fiftheenth! I'm sorry! I dont believe theres much difference in Labor/Delivery because they dont take insurance until after usually.
So to me, this is a textbook case on how anti-vaccine rumors start, spread and propagate. Do you have any other examples?
Part II (to be published in due time) will look at the explicitly anti-Semitic variations of this myth.
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