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Anti-Vaccine Activists React to COVID-19 Breakthrough

The anti-vax crowd responded just about as you’d expect.

After nearly a year of suspense and concern over the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic was going to have on us, both economically and medically, it appears that some sort of glimmer of hope could be coming over the horizon.

That’s because Pfizer, along with BioNtech, have announced that a coronavirus vaccine is on the way after their latest test results showed a remarkable success. 

But the news certainly wasn’t welcome for everyone, as a large and vocal contingent of vaccine skeptics weighed in. 

Hours after Pfizer’s Monday announcement, conspiratorial social media channels lit up with baseless claims. Some warned, without evidence, that the COVID-19 vaccine would come with ghastly side effects. This despite Pfizer indicating its candidate had produced no serious safety issues, at least so far, and an array of independent boards and other safeguards in place to prevent dangerous vaccines from reaching the public.

Others alleged, also without evidence, that the vaccine was actually a secret microchip and that Microsoft founder Bill Gates was going to use the microchips for nefarious (if somewhat unclear) purposes. Maybe mind-control, or depopulation.

Another set of critics opposed the very principle of getting a vaccine, claiming the not-yet-available shot amounted to a violation of their personal freedoms.

Anti-vaccine sentiment is nothing new, but has been growing in recent years thanks to the burgeoning communities found online, where like-minded individuals have shared their concerns with one another.

The mainstream media has largely portrayed “anti-vaxxers” as conspiracy theorists, and some social media networks have resorted to throttling or censoring content produced by the movement.

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