Debunking Anti-Vax Propaganda and Allaying Fears: The Science. Any Best You-Tube Videos?

[lostnfound]

I’ve just had an epiphany.

I read DU and follow a lot of people on Twitter. I rarely use YouTube — occasional home repairs or gardening tips. It feels gross and exploitive of my time to get sucked in to anything else on YouTube and I don’t have the patience.

My anti-vax friend (leftwing) watches you-tube and my efforts to influence her to get the vax are unsuccessful because she is paralyzed by fear of BOTH covid AND the vaccines. Her UNDERLYING DISTRUST OF INSTITUTIONS was exploited by possibly hundreds of hours of YouTube videos over the past year.

I finally watched 1.5 videos that she sent. The long one was a retired PHD microbiologist from Germany was talking in technical terms but in a calm voice about the risks of vaccines. I know what he is saying is not accurate, but I can see how a non-technical person would be swayed by his obvious knowledge of details, his long career and his calm voice.

I set about learning the details of mRNA vaccines to refute what he said, to provide evidence to her to help her understand that what he was saying was false and misleading. Many hours later, I had some diagrams and some information about the volume of mRNA material in a vaccine.

Each dose of the Moderna vaccine contains 0.5 milliliters.

COVID-19 replicates itself by producing the ENTIRE virus —not just spike proteins, but all 29 proteins that comprise it —in very large, ever-growing quantities — (probably trillions of spike proteins).



In comparison, the mRNA vaccines build ONLY the spike; and do NOT create a mechanism to go out and infect an ever-growing number of other cells with more spike-producing mRNA encapsulated in lipids to be able to get past the cell membranes. The lipid-coated mRNA does not self-replicate. So there is a limit to the amount of spike protein that can be created.

I felt like I did good work, but I opened up my YouTube two days later and found that it was flooded with tons of anti-VAX stories. Not just videos similar to what I have watched but a whole universe related approaches. And I realized whatever good information it’s going to be overwhelmed by the thousands of hours of available antivaxx constant. Further it the valves and spreads into other conspiracy theories, disheartening messages that are against elected Democrats from other perspectives, and deep dark anti-institutionalism etc.

We need to get better at dealing with this propaganda.If you were anti-VAX friend is getting it from YouTube, it would be a lot better to have YouTube videos to send back. Because not only will your anti-VAX friend see the one video you sent her, but the next time she opens You-Tube, it should start to include other related PRO-vaccine YouTube videos.

So I got to wondering: can you DU-ER’s recommend some good pro-vaccine YouTube videos?

[jmbar2]

1. doesn't sound like science arguments work with her

Maybe you need to convince her to immediately isolate herself from unvacced people around her so she doesn't infect them. If she is around kids or vulnerable folks, she could kill them. Ask her how she would feel about that?

Show her vids of people who felt the same way - antivax - and regretted it.

Also, maybe some articles or data that show who is putting out the antivax propaganda and why. Here's a good story about that.

https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-57928647

America's enemies want to bring us down. They are succeeding by convincing gullible people to act against their own best interests. They've killed more Americans by pushing propaganda than all of the deaths in WWII. They are winning this war hands down.

[lostnfound]

2. That's a great story to share, thanks!

I’ve shared regret stories. But there ought to be some you-tube videos that communicate the vaccine success or debunk the anti-vax propaganda readily available.

[jmbar2]

4. There are countless interviews with researchers and folks like Fauci

It's all out there. She just cannot or will not listen.

The best bet for now is just to treat them like the Walking Dead, protect ourselves from them, and wait for them to die off.

[lostnfound]

6. I don't think you understand what I was looking for

The point is that once she gets to videos from antivaxx or’s that she watches, she gets flooded with 100 of them. And they are attention grabbing.

Where is the equivalent on our side? Pro vaccine videos are not attention grabbing. Why not? Why isn’t there 50 videos that anybody on democratic underground 10.2 that show in a flashy grabby way how effective the vaccine is And how fearful it is to go without it. And perhaps how much the other side is lying?


In fact the entire basis of some of those anti-VAX videos is “oh, the establishment is lying!!”

I’m asking if the DUers know Videos that will say “oh that’s anti-VAX her guy is lying to you”

And I’m sick of people saying just ignore them. I’m talking to them as a social responsibility, which I OWE to all the poor nurses and doctors that are out there having their life sucked away from them by this nightmare.

We owe it to them To try to get our unvaccinated acquaintances stop filling up the emergency rooms and stop spreading the disease

[jmbar2]

7. I see what you're saying

The antivaxx propaganda is plentiful, well-targeted and engaging. Science is usually not presented in such an engaging way.

My sister is a nurse dealing with pregnant covid women, so I completely see why you can't just ignore them and let them take everyone else down. I'm terrified that she will get infected.

I honestly don't have any answer, but you are asking very good questions.

Thanks for posting your thoughts.

[lostnfound]

11. 👍

[crickets]

3. Underrated post. Thank you for that link, jmbar2! nt

[jmbar2]

5. YW

[Leith]

8. SciShow is one of my favorite channels

They have a playlist of 55 short explanations of everything covid and sciency.

&list=PLsNB4peY6C6IQediwz2GzMTNvm_dMzr47

Playlists are good because they play one after the other or you can click over a video that isn't what you are looking for.

Their playlist page. The covid list is on the second row on my screen.

I hope this helps!

[lostnfound]

12. Thanks! That's a great channel I'm gonna enjoy

My friend is going to be too deeply disturbed by mouse muscles getting cut off — she’s kind of anti-animal experimentation— But I really like the channel and I’m sure I can find something in there for her too. Thanks

[crickets]

9. Drew Comments - Why I Took The Vaccine

It's really good, though it's more a persuasive calming of fears than a science lesson. He addresses Black community concerns as well as some of the general myths. Eventually he does get technical, but in a relatable way.

For more incredibly persuasive (though not really scientific) videos about COVID and other political stuff, Politics Girl:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0VTA6PQH7nKKgRO8ptMatQ

The problem is, when you think someone is watching all the wrong YouTube videos, sending them to watch other YouTube videos just exposes them to more crap every time they see that inescapable strip of suggested vids alongside the comments section. That was my experience anyway. Some of it looks credible at first glance, but it's just garbage.

Maybe a good article would help more instead? This is from a well known source providing trustworthy information that isn't behind a paywall.

https://time.com/5927342/mrna-covid-vaccine/

And then there's this:

https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/ama-survey-shows-over-96-doctors-fully-vaccinated-against-covid-19

Suggest to your friend that she stop watching questionable videos made by strangers and talk to her own doctor about it. Good luck.

[Corgigal]

10. My doc

Every Saturday, keeps me current

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