John Oliver absolutely destroys anti-vaxxers
By Jeremy Dick
On Last Week Tonight, host John Oliver spent nearly 30 full minutes tearing down the “opportunistic quacks” behind the anti-vaccination movement.
The topic of vaccinations is not without its controversies. While it seems like a no-brainer to accept that vaccines are a good thing, there is a strong anti-vaccination movement that has formed. More and more people are starting to believe that vaccines are more harmful than they are helpful, sometimes leading to disastrous results.
On Sunday night’s Last Week Tonight, John Oliver decided to take this issue on with full force. Spending almost a full half hour on the topic, the HBO comedian spells things out for even the dumbest of us to understand.
Oliver points out how the driving force for anti-vaxxers are the concerns about vaccines causing autism. Apparently this insane idea was introduced by a man named Andrew Wakefield. And most people don’t realize Wakefield’s “findings” have been discredited over and over again, and Wakefield has since had his medical license taken away. He’s basically the “Lance Armstrong of doctors,” cracks Oliver.
But the most poignant moment of the segment comes close to the end. Oliver mentions how he is now a father, and understands how terrifying parenthood is. But if even he can “ignore his terrified lizard brain” and vaccinate his child because it’s the right thing to do, then all of us should as well.
You can watch the entire half hour segment in the video below.
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John Oliver isn’t through yet, as more episodes of Last Week Tonight are forthcoming. Be sure to watch him every Sunday night on HBO!