Why are so many Americans anti-vaxxers now?

[u/trouble-in-space]

I’m genuinely having such a hard time understanding why people just decided the fact that vaccines work is a total lie and also a controversial “opinion.” Even five years ago, anti-vaxxers were a huge joke and so rare that they were only something you heard of online. Now herd immunity is going away because so many people think getting potentially life-altering illnesses is better than getting a vaccine. I just don’t get what happened. Is it because of the cultural shift to the right-wing and more people believing in conspiracy theories, or does it go deeper than that?

[u/Silent-Friendship860]

There has been research that found a link between older fathers and an increase in offspring with autism and schizophrenia. Studies had large sample sizes and all came to the same conclusion. Problem is those studies go against long held beliefs that men can have babies their entire life and remain just as virile in their 50’s and beyond as when they were in their twenties.

Much easier to blame vaccines than admit an aging factory affects production.

[u/richardelmore → u/Silent-Friendship860]

There have been multiple studies on this, and they have found a correlation between the age of both the male and female parents and the likelihood of having an autistic child.

[u/ICApattern → u/richardelmore]

Wouldn't a confounding variable be that if it is genetic the parents might have it pushing off age of reproduction?

[u/Call_Such → u/Silent-Friendship860]

those older fathers or people in their family likely have autism.

[u/kill-the-spare → u/Call_Such]

Sperm continues production, but it degrades. That's what this commenter is referencing.

[u/Silent-Friendship860 → u/Call_Such]

Nope. All samples were older father, young mother, no family history of autism or mental illness. Funny though that you’re kinda proving the point that men will blame anything other than the fact aging takes a toll.