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This doctor had the perfect response to an anti-vaxxer suspicious about the Covid vaccine

This doctor had the perfect response to an anti-vaxxer suspicious about the Covid vaccine
TikTok / JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images

A doctor delivered a stunning rebuke to an anti-vaxxer who claimed to know more about the Covid vaccine than him.

Dr Eric Burnett, whose medical videos are popular on TikTok, frequently receives antagonistic messages from conspiracy theorists who doubt the vaccines’ efficacy.

He decided to respond to one in particular who tried to claim that being a doctor doesn’t make him any more of an authority on vaccination than herself. He said:

“Well, Karen, I hate to break it to you, but it does. I spent the last ten plus years of my life dedicated to the study of medicine and science. I’m tired of pretending like everyone’s opinion on the vaccine and on the pandemic are equally valid because they are not.”

He went on to contrast his opinions based on “double-blind placebo-controlled trials” published in “peer-reviewed medical journals” with theirs formed on social media.

“Your opinion is based upon a QAnon conspiracy meme shared by your scientifically illiterate fourth cousin twice removed who told you that the vaccine is going to turn you into an eggplant parmesan sandwich.

Your inability to learn something new about the world around you isn’t a badge of honour or anything to be proud of. It’s embarrassing.”

His “brilliant” comedic PSA was liked 300,000 times. One user commented “he dissected them like a frog in middle school”.

Anti-vaxx misinformation has reached millions of people online. Ahead of the Covid-19 vaccines’ rollout, social media companies faced scrutiny over their role in allowing its spread.

In response, Twitter and YouTube promised to delete anti-vaxx content while Facebook and Instagram banned anti-vaxx ads (but reportedly not unpaid for posts).

Concerns about misinformation spreading online obviously still remain. 

Because, as Burnett pointed out, the people trying to ‘educate’ us about vaccination – like QAnon conspiracy theorists – aren’t always the most qualified to do so.

You can watch the video here.

More: How will the pandemic and the government's actions impact our livelihoods in 2021?

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