The battle over SB 277, California’s bill mandating that children must be fully vaccinated to enroll in schools or daycare, has been tough, emotional, and completely bonkers, creating a new wave of vocal anti-vaccination activists, some of whom are willing to dox, harass and threaten anyone speaking in favor of it. SB 277 is headed to Governor Jerry Brown’s desk today. Brown hasn’t said publicly whether he intends to sign the bill.
Because this is California, some of the loudest voices against the bill (and vaccination in general) are also famous people—famous people who, as it turns out, have some really interesting ideas on science, health, medicine, biology, the definition of freedom, and how bills become law. (To be clear, no anti-vax celebrity has engaged in harassment or doxxing; they have confined themselves to public speaking, angry tweeting, and occasional Facebook petitioning.)
For your reference, here’s a list of anti-vaccination celebrities, and why, as best we can tell, they’re like that. This list will be continually updated.
Jenna Elfman
Best Known For: Dharma and Greg, and, uh, now this.
Why: Because she believes it infringes on parental rights, and, perhaps, because she’s a Scientologist. The Church says they haven’t taken a position on the legislation, but allowed the Nation of Islam to hold an anti-SB 277 meeting at their Community Center. While they say the Center is available for anyone to use, it’s very difficult to believe that would extend to anyone espousing things they don’t believe in. Scientology is also broadly anti-drug, although they do take prescription medications.
Choice Quotes: Elfman appeared at an anti-vaccination rally in May, where she warned of the dangers of slopes that turn into doors:
“You open up the door of taking away parents’ rights, you open the door to a Constitutional slippery slope.”
On Facebook, Elfman is also circulating a petition urging Brown to veto the bill:
There is no health crisis (unless they care to create one— wait for it….) and frankly, I’m astounded that we have to fight so hard for our parental rights as Americans, IN AMERICA.
Jenny McCarthy
Best Known For: Acting, authoring, persistent anti-vaxxin’.
Why: McCarthy says her son is autistic. She has been very clear that she believed vaccines played a role in her son’s condition, although of late she’s stopped discussing it quite so much. She also claimed in 2008, along with Jim Carrey, that they’d cured him with the help of a gluten-free diet.
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