Culture

This Anti-Vaxxer Claimed That Vaccines Give Babies Alzheimer’s, So Now It’s A Huge Meme

"Eating your baby's snacks and telling him he ate them, and he believes you because Alzheimer's >>>>>>>>>"

by Michelle Rennex  24 January 2020
baby alzheimer's memes explained

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I think we can all agree that anti-vaxxers are the worst.

Causing more harm than good to their kids, anti-vaxxers push the stupid and dangerous idea that vaccines actually cause disease and illness instead of preventing them. A favourite anti-vaccination argument is that vaccines cause autism, a developmental disorder that has been proven to develop in utero. Yet anti-vaxxers still continue to run with the argument to denounce the need to vaccinate newborns.

However, one woman has taken the anti-vaccination case one step further, claiming that vaccinations actually cause Alzheimer’s and Down syndrome in babies. Before putting his account on private, @MJK_NY31‘s tweet capturing the moment went viral.

“Babies getting diagnosed with Alzheimer’s now? Wow, wild,” he tweeted about the interaction.

baby alzheimer's explainer

In the Twitter exchange, Model and influencer, Lira Galore put the question out to her followers: “Thoughts on vaccinating your newborns/infants?”

One woman against vaccinations named Sasha replied: “Against it. Too many cases of perfectly healthy babies all of a sudden being diagnosed. The health department will assist you with getting an exemption form. [As] long as you breastfeed and give the child the natural nutrients it needs… immune system A1.”

Curious as to what Sasha was talking about, another woman asked: “Diagnosed with what?”

“Down syndrome, Alzheimer’s, etc.,”  Sasha confidently responded.

Well Babies Get Alzheimer’s, Apparently

Sasha was quickly criticised for her unfounded claims that vaccines could cause conditions that are formed in utero. Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease that slowly destroys memory and cognitive skills, starting in old age at around the age of 60. Famously, babies and toddlers are not in their 60’s when they are born.

According to studies, most people don’t even recall any memories before the age of three. Therefore the ability for these newly vaccinated babies to develop dementia is highly unlikely, and wouldn’t even be remembered anyway.

Similarly Sasha’s suggestion that vaccines also cause Down syndrome, a genetic condition, are unsubstantiated. Down syndrome is characterised by having an additional chromosome, something which is occurs during the developmental stages of life. Simply put, it just isn’t possible to “develop” Down syndrome after birth — including through vaccinations.

This spread of misinformation is what continues to instil fear into new parents who are deciding whether to vaccinate their children. Unfortunately, this isn’t good for not only their kids, but also for other children who are exposed to those unvaccinated.

Following Sasha’s terribly flawed anti-vaxx argument, people begun poking fun at the mere idea that babies could have Alzheimer’s. Some jokingly claimed that Sasha’s idea had to be true because they couldn’t recall their early memories after being vaccinated. Others officially declared January “Infant Alzheimer’s Awareness Month” in respect of Sasha bringing baby Alzheimer’s to everyone’s attention.

But most people just took the opportunity to make memes about the fake illness of Baby Alzheimer’s — probably the only thing an anti-vaxxer has ever done that’s brought us a little bit of joy.