Mark Zuckerberg Takes Baby Max To Get Vaccinated — and Sparks Debate
Mark Zuckerberg took newborn Max for her vaccinations the other day and caused a national stir when he posted a father-daughter photo on — where else? — Facebook.
“Doctor’s visit – time for vaccines!” the founder of the social media giant wrote, garnering 3 million likes and 70,000 comments.
Doctor’s visit — time for vaccines!
Posted by Mark Zuckerberg on Friday, January 8, 2016
“I love that you are promoting vaccines!” wrote Raluca Sander. “There is so much confusion on that topic out there and it causes too much harm.”
“Thank you, Mark Zuckerberg for not only creating this social media platform so that I may advocate for vaccines, but thank you for being a public health advocate yourself!” wrote Angela Quinn.
But for the small but very vocal group of Americans who question the safety of childhood vaccinations — believing the shots are behind some diseases and developmental disorders — the Facebook founder’s picture meant war. “Poor baby,” wrote Steve Schneider on Friday. “Forget those natural immunities we got the good stuff right here in this syringe.”
The Centers for Disease Control fully backs the series of vaccines that most kids get today and have nixed any link with conditions like autism.
Zuckerberg, followed by more than 48 million on his social media platform, sparked an outcry in February of last year after endorsing the non-fiction book “On Immunity,” which explores the vaccination debate in America.
“Vaccination is an important and timely topic,” Zuckerberg wrote in a Feb. 18 post. “The science is completely clear: vaccinations work and are important for the health of everyone in our community.” — With Reuters
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse..
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO