Ask HN: How can I help family that believes in vaccine hoaxes?

[voyager1]

Some of the family members strongly believe in vaccine hoaxes (e.g. government will inject chips into our bodies) and it got so far that they might lose their job, because they believe in the hoax and refuse to get vaccinated.

I tried to reason with them and they don't seem to listen. They find most of their hoax resources online (Facebook groups and Youtube videos).

What else can I do?

[patatino]

Probably the best you can do is accept their beliefs. They will never change their view because you try to convince them, and if you attack their beliefs, it is over. They will go into defense mode if you attack.

Share your view and why you will get vaccinated without trying to convince them and hope you plant a seed in their head and change their minds.

[yokaze]

> I tried to reason with them and they don't seem to listen.

The problem is, you have put yourself there in the opposition. That they are threatened with losing there jobs is actually reinforcing their belief.

Personally, I haven't had much luck in practice here, so my knowledge is more theoretical.

But I've been told, that reasoning is the worst way to approach this topic.

What I've been suggested is trying emotion and empathy. Give up the expectation to be able to push them in the direction where you want them to go. Rather focus on that they should understand, why you _care_ about it. Because you care for them.

I understand, that you are rejecting their position completely (and from my point of view you are right), but try to understand where they coming from without communicating the scepticism and your objections directly or in subtext.

Not that I think they are right, but chances are there are some good reason how they got into that. Likely they want to know the truth. Encourage them in that process without pushing for a direction. Consider it that way, they were willing to question official lines, then they might also amenable to question the resources they currently trust.

[dingusthemingus]

I think watching youtube videos together on the black plague, polio, measles, or 1918 flu epidemic would be a good place to start while having a rational discussion throughout watching.

I think its also important to educate/comprimise with them, assuming they are young healthy adults, agree that covid likely isnt really a short term risk to their well beings, but that they are indirectly very real threat vectors to those that are immunocomprised like our neighbors who have diabetes, or grandparents, etc.

If you can get them to admit that they dont want to get vaccinated because they dont want a needle in their arm and drive an hour driving to the hospital and are young and healthy, aka laziness, i think that can help lead to the selfrealization that not getting vaccinated is a selfish, neurotic move, in the middle of a pandemic when lots of already comprimised or older people are dying.

[therealdrag0]

What’s their view of past vaccines?

Might not be worth bothering about current events before being agreeable on past successes.

Show pictures of measles, polio, and statistics on how successful those campaigns have been. These are miracles of modern medicine.

I think appreciating how we’ve gotten to where we are is the foundation of being less cynical towards current public health efforts.

[giantg2]

You can tell them that if the vaccine does give them problems that they can seek compensation under the established CICP. Although, I don't have a lot of faith in them from my experience (so far) with the VICP.