Mennonite Measles in Texas

[JohnH]

The cancer cases are quite real. You can jump up and down and say “conspiracy theory!”, but it doesn’t cure their cancer. A number of people now sincerely regret getting the untested, “emergency use authorization” vaccine that didn’t work.

Conspiracy theory is maybe a loaded phrase. Perhaps it would be more accurate to just call it scientific illiteracy. And a sign that scientific education is falling short in your community.

Two fundamental skills that are wrapped into modern science teaching standards are critical thinking and the ability to critically evaluate scientific information and sources. If people are blaming a vaccine for their cancer that shows a lack of critical thinking skills and an inability to critically evaluate scientific information. As does the assertion that the vaccine didn’t work to protect lives and severe illness.

Rest assured I studied science in college so I am not “scientifically illiterate”.

I was mostly persuaded by a board certified medical provider who also has a doctorate. She is not scientifically illiterate either. Just because people don’t agree with you doesn’t mean they are ignorant.

It's called "Turbo Cancer" and is indeed a conspiracy spawned by the anti-vax crowd.

2021: gets vaccine
2022: gets cancer #1, treated, major complications
2023: gets cancer #2, treated, still recovering from complications
2024: gets cancer #3. Brutal chemotherapy so operating is even possible.
2025: major surgery for cancer #3.

-or-

2021: doesn’t get the vaccine
2022:
2023:
2024: had a cold? Was it Covid? Who knows?
2025:

[Soloist]

The interesting thing is, we don’t really know what happens with the vaccine if exposed to reverse transcriptase…
Coincidently will happen at a much higher rate with cancer.
So possibly it might accelerate the growth of the cancer

[Ken]

Rest assured I studied science in college so I am not “scientifically illiterate”.

I was mostly persuaded by a board certified medical provider who also has a doctorate. She is not scientifically illiterate either. Just because people don’t agree with you doesn’t mean they are ignorant.

Modern science instruction isn't just about learning facts or doing things like memorizing the Latin names of the 29 orders of insects. It is all about process. Most all science instruction these days from middle school onwards is centered on the process of CLAIM, EVIDENCE, AND REASIONING. And most science classrooms around the country will have posters up to the effect of the one below. There are hundreds of examples you can find online. Just google "CLAIM EVIDENCE REASONING."

Now anyone can make any CLAIM they want. The moon is made of cheese. The COVID vaccine causes cancer. The COVID vaccine makes you magnetic, etc. Those are all claims. But to turn it into an actual scientific statement one must collect scientific EVIDENCE that supports the claim, and provide scientific REASONING explaining how the evidence supports the claim.

During labs and class discussions we always teach students to support their scientific claims with evidence and reasoning. And a big part of modern science instruction is teaching students how to evaluate the claims of others. We spend a lot of time looking at things like marketing claims for certain products and ask what is the evidence they present to support their claim, and what reasoning to they give to tie the evidence back to the claim.

In this instance we have a claim that the COVID vaccine causes cancer. But there is zero valid scientific evidence of any kind to support that claim. Nor is there any scientific reasoning showing how this might be the case. For example, what is the mechanism? And yes, the world of science has a lot of standards related to what is valid scientific evidence. There are statistical tests for example. As well as procedures such as double-blind studies. Anecdotes are not evidence of anything. Nor is this:

2021: gets vaccine
2022: gets cancer #1, treated, major complications
2023: gets cancer #2, treated, still recovering from complications
2024: gets cancer #3. Brutal chemotherapy so operating is even possible.
2025: major surgery for cancer #3.

And yes, there is plenty of scientifically illiterate information out there presented by people who have scientific qualifications of some kind. A depressing amount of it actually. I remember, for example, the doctor who testified before Congress that the COVID vaccine makes people magnetic and tried to get a metal spoon to stick to her on national TV. It was completely ridiculous and any of my HS students would have laughed at how bad it is, and how she utterly failed to present a scientific claim with any actual scientific evidence or reasoning.

[JohnH]

And most science classrooms around the country will have posters up to the effect of the one below.

“Science classrooms”? What is this, middle school?

[Ken]

And most science classrooms around the country will have posters up to the effect of the one below.

“Science classrooms”? What is this, middle school?

Most middle school science students could, in fact, evaluate a claim "that the COVID vaccine causes cancer" as scientifically illiterate, or "unscientific" since there is no evidence or reasoning behind it.

[JohnH]

And most science classrooms around the country will have posters up to the effect of the one below.

“Science classrooms”? What is this, middle school?

Most middle school science students could, in fact, evaluate a claim "that the COVID vaccine causes cancer" as scientifically illiterate, or "unscientific" since there is no evidence or reasoning behind it.

You mean they could regurgitate propaganda from vested interests with billions of dollars at stake to claim their vaccines are safe (which they are not).

[Ken]

“Science classrooms”? What is this, middle school?

Most middle school science students could, in fact, evaluate a claim "that the COVID vaccine causes cancer" as scientifically illiterate, or "unscientific" since there is no evidence or reasoning behind it.

You mean they could regurgitate propaganda from vested interests with billions of dollars at stake to claim their vaccines are safe (which they are not).

I meant exactly what I wrote. Which is that most middle school students could take a look at the claim that the COVID vaccine causes cancer. They could evaluate the evidence behind said claim and the reasoning behind it and reach the correct conclusion that it it unscientific.

Although it would be a bigger project, the could also look at the clinical trials and follow-up tracking for the various COVID vaccines and reach the scientifically valid conclusions that the vaccine is both safe and effective.

[JohnH]

This effectively replaces "science" with a "priesthood", where one simply repeats whatever "authorities" tell us. Of course, we learned during COVID that most of what the authorities told us was false, such as the idea we should distance 6 feet (completely made up from the beginning), that it was likely a lab leak (suspected in the start and the information repressed), or that the vaccine would prevent infection.

The latter is one of the funnier ones. The vaccine will prevent infection, right? But those of us who didn't get vaccinated would face death and destruction? Except that didn't happen. The vaccine didn't prevent infection. The original promise was false.

And thus, all of the "research" and "double blind studies" (whoops - did the COVID vaccine actually have any)? - was for nothing. Because if the research claimed it prevented infection, and it doesn't, then the rest of the research can't be trusted. Including that it's "safe".

I should note that the term "scientific literacy" really means "religious faith", except the religion in this case is believing that vaccines cause health, much like how a Pentecostal person might believe in faith healing or an animist go to a witch doctor and believe they can get have better health by wearing some kind of amulet. At least the amulet doesn't poke you.

[Ken]

And thus, all of the "research" and "double blind studies" (whoops - did the COVID vaccine actually have any)? - was for nothing. Because if the research claimed it prevented infection, and it doesn't, then the rest of the research can't be trusted. Including that it's "safe".

You know, all this information is out there if you want to find it. You can look up exactly what the research claimed.

After testing tens of thousands of individuals from a wide cross-section of society in the Phase 3 trials, the Pfizer vaccine was found to be 95% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID and the Moderna vaccine was found to be 94.1% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID. That is exactly what they claimed, nothing less and nothing more.

In the years that followed we had hundreds of millions of additional points of data showing that the vaccines dramatically reduced COVID death rates and rates of hospitalization by at least 90% with the effect fading to about 70-80% after a year or so. And the virus itself continued to evolve into more infectious strains. Which is why they developed new boosters.

I should note that the term "scientific literacy" really means "religious faith"

And no, scientific literacy and religious faith are actually opposites. Or at least separate non-overlapping spheres. What scientific evidence do you have, for example, for the existence of heaven and hell?

[JohnH]

I have chosen not to place my religious belief in a hope of vaccines. As I may remind you, we were told the COVID vaccine prevented infection. It did not.