I have a friend who is really into makeup. Like, really into makeup. She can do a full face, going out look in half an hour and knows the most affordable, yet still remarkable, brands out there. She’s also one of the most badass people I know. How? Easy. She’s never afraid to call out things she thinks are wrong.
Kat Von D is a makeup artist and creator of her own company. She’s well known in the makeup world and can be found in almost every Sephora or Ulta around. In her personal life, Kat Von D chooses to live a vegan lifestyle and very recently gave birth to her son. However, Kat Von D also doesn’t believe in vaccinations.
No, this is not an article about hating vegans. But this is an article criticizing those who consider themselves “anti-vaxxers.”
When Kat Von D released an Instagram statement saying that she won’t be vaccinating her son because it isn’t “natural,” many of her followers criticized her whilst others completely boycotted her brand. Which brings me back to my makeup-goddess of a friend.
I got the idea to write about vaccinations on a Saturday afternoon when my friend brought up that Sephora’s new birthday offer included products from Kat Von D’s makeup line. She was furious that Sephora, a widely used and known makeup company, was practically promoting Kat Von D in a time where a measles outbreak from an unvaccinated person in Washington state was making front headlines and impacting so many people to the point where scientists and journalists are calling it the worst outbreak in a decade.
This problem, however, is bigger than just Kat Von D. It’s bigger than just any one person, actually.
Some people don’t vaccinate because they’re vegan and believe vaccinations aren’t. Some believe it causes autism. Some believe that the government is fudging the beneficial vaccination statistics. And these are only a few ideas you can find if you just search “antivaxxers” on Google. So, with all that said, let’s unpack these a little, shall we?
First, let’s start with veganism. I am not a vegan, but I do like some vegan foods and do use makeup products that aren’t tested on animals. Being a vegan isn’t a bad thing. But being a vegan and trying to impose your lifestyle onto someone else because it somehow makes you “superior” is. And there are some people out there who are like that. Not all, but
enough for me to have to put that in this article. In regards to anti-vaxxers, they are right about one thing: vaccinations are not vegan. That, however, doesn’t mean they can’t save your life. Something can be healthy and not vegan. Many moms, especially many blog moms, claim that because they’re vegan, their kid has to be too. Kat Von D believes this. And it’s okay for them to be vegan; it’s not okay for them to force that onto their children by refusing to get them vaccinated.
Secondly, to the people that believe vaccinations cause autism in their children: I would like to see your evidence. Other than blog posts by other anti-vaxxers. Vaccinations do not cause autism. If you don’t believe me, I refer you to the CDC, or Center for Disease Control and Prevention. And if you still believe that vaccines cause autism after that, amongst countless of other scientific sources, are you so against autism that you would rather your kid (or any kid, really) die than have it? There’s a word for that. It’s called ableism.
Lastly, there are plenty of things I believe the government does. I’m a conspiracy fanatic. Talk to me about anything related to historical assassinations or aliens and then you’ll see. But if your only reason against vaccinations is because of the government, you’re gonna need a better one. Vaccinations prevent people from deadly illnesses, like measles, and nearly eradicated diseases, like polio. And not just for you or your family but for everyone else. The biggest problem with vaccinations right now isn’t the vaccinations themselves; it’s the people not getting them.