Kevin Brody, 53 of Atlanta, Georgia effectively ended a long online discussion about the risks and benefits of vaccines by announcing that he and even many people he knew in childhood had survived measles and chickenpox without complications. The discussion had been raging for several days on the Facebook page “I Fucking Love Science,” with over 1,600 individuals leaving comments.
According to several participants in the thread, almost every conceivable point on both sides of the vaccine debate had been made until Mr. Brody’s arrival. His announcement that he had “survived measles and chickenpox just fine” and that he was “one of the healthiest people I know” nearly ended the discussion then and there. When several people objected that he was just one person, Mr. Brody elaborated that this experience was not unique and that “many of my childhood friends had these diseases too, and they are all fine.”
“I was completely blown away,” said Lewis McGowen, a commentator who was representing the pro-vaccine side. “I mean this guy not only survived these diseases, but knows a lot of people who did as well. How can we justify vaccinating for these diseases if they are not only survivable, but people can actually thrive after getting them.”
In light of Mr. Brody’s reports, experts from the CDC are reevaluating the entire vaccination schedule for the country.
