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Nowadays, Twitter and Facebook have helped bring a lot of attention to the great controversies surrounding vaccinations. Mainly, due to some celebrities being very vocal about the topic. This is a list of celebs who are anti-vaxxers for several reasons.
Jenna Elfman
Jenna Elfman is best known for her leading role in the ABC sitcom Dharma and Greg. You may recognize her from her recent roles on Growing Up Fisher and AMC horror drama, Fear The Walking Dead. The actress is now 46 and raising two kids.
In 2015 she spoke up on Facebook about the controversial vaccination issue. For those who have missed the legislative scandal, here’s a small recap. The senator of California signed the bill into the law in 2015 and it removes personal belief exemptions to vaccination requirements for entry to schools. The co-authors of the bill even received death threats. Jenna Elfman turns out to be among those who are outraged by the law. On her Facebook page she states “There is no health crisis (unless they care to create one….. wait for it…..) and frankly, I’m astounded that we have to fight so hard for our parental rights as Americans, in America.” But, the thing is the issue of vaccinations came to the surface after a horrible outbreak of measles at Disneyland in 2014 which prompted the law to pass.
So, even if Jenna Elfman was trying to emphasize the importance of human rights posting “I’m not against vaccinations. I am against the state removing parental rights. Our freedom to choose when/ how to vaccinate is IMPT.” It made her look as if she’s a member of the anti vaccine camp. Elfman is also a member of Scientology, a church that is well known for its anti-drug position perhaps that had some influence on her statement too.
Jenny McCarthy
In fact, the tension around vaccinations started long before that. One of the most famous cases with celebrities and vaccination controversies happened with Jenny McCarthy. Jenny started her career as a nude model for Playboy but you probably remember her best as a co-host of the talk show, The View. She has been married twice and dated actor Jim Carrey for five years in-between. Her only son Evan was born in 2002 and was diagnosed with autism three years later. McCarthy believed that the vaccinations her son received at an early age caused the disorder. Even though she denies, she is anti vaccine. She became quite vocal about it and got described by The Daily Beast as the nation’s most prominent purveyor of anti-vaxxer ideology.
“I don’t think it was just the MMR shot that caused any kind of trigger with autism. I think it was a compilation of so many shots to a kid that obviously had some autoimmune disorders.” says Jenny. But a couple of years later when her son seizures were treated, the doctors realized Evan had a disease often mistaken for autism. Nevertheless, Jenny denied any mistake in the diagnosis and was sure she cured her son with some non-traditional medicine including hyperbaric oxygen chambers, spoons rubbed on his body, a gluten-free and casseon free diet, and chelation. “Try everything” she advises parents.
Jenny even published her own books on treating autism, regardless of the lack of decent scientific proof of the connection between MMR shots and autism. In 2008, she received the ‘James Randi Educational Foundation Spig Asus award’ for her contribution to the pseudoscience, as a performer who has fooled the greatest number of people with the least amount of effort.
On his website James Randi wrote that he sympathizes with McCarthy and her son but reproached her for using her public status to discourage so many people from vaccinating their own kids. In 2015, a physiatrist criticized McCarthy in a Medscape article saying “she has no idea what she is talking about. What she said is misleading and harmful, and the measles outbreak is a clear indication of the response to the spread of such pseudo scientific myths.
Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey is the King of Comedy who has starred in masterpiece movies including The Mask, Bruce Almighty, The Ace Ventura series and so many others that we would be counting till tomorrow. He managed to use a bit of his humor in his sketches dissing Trump and also on stage, when making jokes about Shia LaBeouf but Jim left his sense of humor behind when it came to vaccination and seriously took a hard stance on it. His point of view on the question, probably got influenced by his ex-girlfriend Jenny McCarthy.
On his Twitter Jim wrote “They say mercury and fish is dangerous but forcing all of our children to be injected with mercury in thimerosol is no-risk. makes sense?” It triggered a huge discussion. It even resulted in people making jokes about the couple by referring to his movie, Dumb and Dumber. He also added “I repeat! I am Pro-vaccine/Anti neurotoxin, as is Robert Kennedy Jr.” posting a link on an article and book supporting his idea.
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro is a legend best known for his roles on Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and The Godfather Part 2 and now for this, De Niro was very impressed by the movie vexed from cover-up to catastrophe. A documentary that describes all the supposed problems caused by childhood vaccinations. I think the movie is something that people should see.
De Niro explained “There is a lot of information about things that are happening with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the pharmaceutical companies. There’s a lot of things that are not said. I, as a parent of a child who has autism. I’m concerned. I want to know the truth.”
Cindy Crawford
The world-famous supermodel, Cindy Crawford also promoted one more anti vaccine movie, Trace Amounts on her Twitter. A film showing the alleged connection between mercury in vaccine and autism.
Alicia Silverstone
Alicia became a huge star in the late 90’s after the movie clueless got on screen. Now, it turns out she’s one more member of the anti-vaccine campaign. Alicia does not oppose the government regulations, it just looks like vaccinations does not fit into her vegan and well-being philosophy. In her own parenting book ‘the kind mama’ which is anti vaccine and anti diaper. She wrote according to doctors Roizen and oz.
“While there has not been a conclusive study of the negative effects of such a rigorous one-size-fits-all shoot-’em-up schedule, there is increasing anecdotal evidence from doctors who have gotten distressed phone calls from parents claiming their child was ‘never the same’ after receiving a vaccine.” and I personally have friends whose babies were drastically affected in this way.
Charlie Sheen
I am not sure, if he is best known for his role on Two and a Half Men or for his cocaine and women abuse charges. He has two little daughters with his former wife Denise Richards. The ex couple had such a big argument on vaccinating their kids that they took it to court. When Denise who supports vaccination won the battle, charlie allegedly attacked the doctor in retaliation. I am not sure if that’s true but Sheen definitely opposed the idea of vaccination.
Donald Trump
Before Donald Trump became the president, he joined the camp of anti-vaxxers back in 2014. He claims, vaccination is unsafe of which there’s no decent scientific proof but he also said he would fix it, once he becomes president. On his Twitter, he wrote “If I were president I would push for proper vaccinations but would not allow one time massive shots that a small child cannot take – Autism.” and yet, we haven’t heard much about his progress on this matter.
Danny Masterson
Do you still remember that 70’s show with Aston Kutcher and Mila Kunis. If you do, then you’ll definitely remember Danny Masterson. Danny compared the California vaccination law to the Nazi methods of governing, tweeting “Hi friends. Help me fight California fascism and sign this petition. No one tells us how to live am I right?!!!.”
Perhaps it’s also worth mentioning that Danny is a Scientologist. Among other Scientologists who are vocal about the anti vaccination bill is Kirstie Alley. Coincidence or not but the beloved leader of the kids from the movie it takes to ‘Me and My Shadow’ took her rage to Twitter saying “No on SB277… no no no…. protect your rights to choose the vaccines your kids and you have….. they are not all harmless….. your kids, your choice.”
Mayim Bialik
Mayim Bialik who plays Amy, the neuroscientists and white to Sheldon Cooper in the Big Bang Theory series. It’s an incredible coincidence that she actually has a real-life PhD in neuroscience. The actress describes her family as a non vaccinating family. In an early interview in 2009 for People magazine, Bialik said “We are non-vaccinating families but I make no claims about people’s individual decisions. We based ours on research and discussions with our pediatrician, and we’ve been happy with that decision, but obviously there’s a lot of controversy about it.” But, six years is a long time and it turns out the actress actually changed her mind regarding vaccinations.
Bialik is a role model to many liberal Jewish parents. Thousands of people following her example of parenting. In fact, Hollywood rabbi Jeffrey Salkin stated in his interview to religious news service, “The Talmud says Jewish parents are obligated to teach their children three things: Torah, a trade, and how to swim. ‘Swimming’ is a metaphor. Parents need to teach their children how to avoid dangerous situations like for example, infectious diseases.” Perhaps that’s what also influenced Bialik’s change of mind. So, Mayim had to clarify her position and refute the rumors.
The actress said, “I would like to dispel the rumors about my stance on vaccines. I am not anti-vaccine. My children are vaccinated. There has been so much hysteria and anger about issue and I hope this clears things up as far as my part.” She continued her post referring to her past statements and explaining that she is just trying to do what is best for her children.
