Is Jessica Biel Anti-Vax? New Details On Her Controversial Instagram Post And The Bill She Supports
It is dangerous thinking.
getty Jessica Biel, who, let's face it, is best known for being married to Justin Timberlake, has made it clear where she stands on vaccination — she is not for them. Oh, to be sure, she surrounds her dangerous rhetoric by saying she believes every family should have the choice to vaccinate or not and claims that stance means she isn't anti-vaxx. But here's the thing, that's exactly what anti-vaxers say — they aren't anti-science you see, they just believe they should have the choice to not vaccinate their own kids. Remember Biblical times? All those plagues wiped out vast segments of the population. Do you know what we don't have now? Plagues! But it seems that Jessica Biel wants to bring those days back. Oh goodie! Is Jessica Biel anti-vax?
1. She met with the California Legislature
Jessica Biel met with California legislature to lobby against California's SB276, a bill that would make it harder for people to receive medical exemptions for vaccinations. The goal of this bill is to prevent fraudulent exemptions and comes at a time with the U.S. is in the midst of a measles outbreak that is larger than any has been in generations. Biel was accompanied by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a noted anti-vaccination activist and an environmental attorney who compared vaccines to the Holocaust.
2. That Instagram post
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. posted a photo of himself with Biel on his Instagram and mentioned that the two of them were lobbying against SB276, a bill designed to keep kids and the community safe. The internet immediately jumped all over Biel and she took to IG to clarify her stance. She said: "This week I went to Sacramento to talk to legislators in California about a proposed bill. I am not against vaccinations — I support children getting vaccinations and I also support families having the right to make educated medical decisions for their children alongside their physicians. My concern with #SB276 is solely regarding medical exemptions. My dearest friends have a child with a medical condition that warrants an exemption from vaccinations, and should this bill pass, it would greatly affect their family’s ability to care for their child in this state. That’s why I spoke to legislators and argued against this bill. Not because I don’t believe in vaccinations, but because I believe in giving doctors and the families they treat the ability to decide what’s best for their patients and the ability to provide that treatment. I encourage everyone to read more on this issue and to learn about the intricacies of #SB276. Thank you to everyone who met with me this week to engage in this important discussion!"
3. What does that even mean?
Well, it doesn't mean what Jessica Biel thinks it means, for one thing. The anti-vaxers ALWAYS say they aren't against vaccines. Take Jenny McCarthy, for example. She is a noted anti-vaxer who has said she is not anti-vaccine. "We're pro-safe-vaccine-schedule." But we all know where Jenny McCarthy stands on vaccines. There. Are. Many. Links that clearly show how McCarthy became the face of the anti-vaxer. Andrew Wakefield is the doctor who lost his license to practice medicine because of the completley made-up study he published in 1998 linking the measles vaccination to autism — something that science has been debunked again and again and again. This is rabble-rousing and inciting panic based on no real science.
4. What exactly is SB276?
SB276 seeks to limit medical exemptions for vaccinations. As a rule only a severely immosuppressed person — the rare "boy in a bubble" scenario — should be exempt medically. However, in California, medical exemptions from vaccinations that skyrocketed — fueled by the anti-vaxxer movements and shady doctors that give out exemptions, sometimes in exchange for cash. The truth is that herd immunity (a level of immunity from measles and other diseases that is high enough to prevent the spread of infections) is what protects people. Herd immunity is on the decline thanks in large part to the anti-vax movement.
5. So is Jessica Biel anti-vax?
A legislative staffer who was in the meetings in Sacramento with Biel and Kennedy said that both fof them spent time “talking about their personal belief that vaccines are both dangerous and ineffective." This really doesn't sound like someone that is trying to make sure a friend’s legitimate exemption is protected. In fact, the staffer also said that Biel kept referencing "...a gene associated with vaccine injuries and when I looked it up I could only find it on these anti-vax sites."
So, sadly, it does seem that Jessica Biel is anti-vax.
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based freelance writer covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy. She is deeply devoted to her chocolate Labrador and an avid long distance runner. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.