Why we need to fight misinformation about vaccines | Ethan Lindenberger

譯者: 牆 穿 審譯者: Bruce Sung

To start, I want to share with you guys something about my hometown

作為開頭，我想向你們分享我的家鄉

俄亥俄州，諾瓦克市

of Norwalk, Ohio.

Now, as this video stated, I am from Norwalk,

好了，如前所述，我來自諾瓦克市

which is an extremely small town, about 15,000 people.

那是一個非常小的城鎮 大約一萬五千的人口數

And really, in Norwalk, if you want to do something fun,

說真的，在諾瓦克，如果想找些樂子

you go to Walmart or drive half an hour to something more interesting.

可以逛逛沃爾瑪超市 或是開半個小時車找更有趣的事做

And for Norwalk, I've lived there for my entire life,

在諾瓦克，我從小到大生長的地方

I'm a senior at the local public high school,

我就讀當地公立高中

and you know, it's something to where I really enjoy my small town.

你知道，這地方真的很棒 我真的很喜歡我的小鎮

And I'm just a normal kid, you know,

我就像一般的孩子，你知道

I lead debate clubs, I volunteer at my church.

帶領辯論社團

在教堂擔任志工

And back in November of 2018,

回到 2018 年 11 月時

I made a small Reddit post asking for advice

我在紅迪發布一則貼文 希望大家給我一點建議

on an issue that I was encountering that I needed some clarification on.

當時我面臨一個議題 需要有人幫我釐清

And this issue, as was stated in the introduction,

這個議題，如同介紹時所述

was something towards vaccinations

是有關接種疫苗

and how I was not immunized against various diseases,

以及我沒有接種各種疫苗的原因

including polio and measles, as well as influenza, HPV, hepatitis --

包含小兒麻痺症以及麻疹 還有流感、HPV、肝炎

the standard vaccine someone my age would receive.

這些我這個年紀的人可能接種的疫苗

Now, this question I asked was simple and pretty strange,

好了，我發布的問題很簡單也很奇怪

because, you know, I wanted to get vaccinated.

因為，是的，我想要接種疫苗

That's kind of weird, but it happened,

這有點怪，但事情就這樣發生了

and then this turned into a public story,

接著這件事就變成一個公眾議題

because I wanted to get vaccinated.

就因為我想要接種疫苗

So that was kind of strange, and then it blew up more,

那有點奇怪，而事件繼續延燒

and I was doing interviews and talking to more people,

我開始接受訪問並與許多人談話

and again, I'm a normal kid, I'm not a scientist,

我再重申一次，我是個 一般的孩子，不是科學家

I don't lead a non-profit, I am a pretty casual person,

沒有帶領非營利組織 我就是個一般人

I'm wearing a hoodie.

我現在甚至穿著連帽衣呢

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Because of this question and this story,

由於我的問題以及這整件事

because I wanted to get vaccinated

由於我想接種疫苗

and this interesting situation I was in,

以及當時我所處的有趣情勢

I saw that I quickly was in this public setting

我發現，我一下就處於

發生這極為重要的議題 以及爭辯的公開場合中

of an extremely important controversy and discussion taking place.

Now, I saw that the stories and headlines were pretty accurate for most part,

我看見的報導和頭條 大部分都非常正確

you know, "After defying anti-vax mom,

你知道，「挺身對抗反疫苗母親

Ohio teen expresses why he got vaccinated."

俄亥俄州青年解釋 為什麼要接種疫苗。」

Pretty accurate, pretty true.

非常正確，非常真實

And, as stated, I testified in front of a Senate committee,

而且，如敘述，我在 參議院委員會前作證時

so there, they said,

事情是這樣，他們說

"This teen who self-vaccinated

「這個自己去施打疫苗的年輕人

just ripped his mom's anti-vaxer beliefs in front of Congress."

在國會前粉碎他媽媽 反對施打疫苗的信念。」

OK, I didn't really do that, but that's fine.

好，我並沒有真的 那樣做，不過沒關係

And certain news outlets took it a little further.

而且某些新聞扯得更遠

"'God knows how I'm still alive':

「『天曉得我怎麼還活著』：

Teenager, 18, finally gets vaccinated and attacks his anti-vax parents."

這個 18 歲的年輕人終於接種疫苗 並抨擊他反疫苗的父母。」

So I did not attack my parents, that's not accurate at all.

我才沒有抨擊父母 那報導根本不確實

And you know, really, my story was more about controversy.

那真的將我的故事報導成爭議

It was about how my mom was bad and I was good,

像是我媽很壞以及我很善良

and I was ripping her a new one.

而且我對她展開嚴厲的批判

這些都不是真的

Not true.

這些都沒有發生

Not what was happening.

I never was rude towards my mother,

我從來不對我媽不禮貌

and even in public settings where I expressed

甚至在公眾場合

how her beliefs were misinformed,

我解釋她的理念是被誤導時

I said that she was a loving mother, and that's important to understand.

我會強調，重要的是一定要了解 她是個慈愛的媽媽

Because a lot of people, I think, in the scientific community

因為很多人，我認為 身處科學界中的人

that understand why vaccines are so important,

了解疫苗的重要性

會對不願接種疫苗的人不解

can really be confused by someone who would not vaccinate.

Really, we can compare it to someone not taking their child to the ER.

確實，這就像有人 拒絕送小朋友去急診室

身處在這種環境之下非常危險

That's a very dangerous situation to be in

這也顯示，在某些層面 少了對孩子的那份同理心

and it shows some lack of empathy towards your children in some regards.

And really, I can understand that, I can.

說真的，我能明白這些，我可以

But my mom, she was misinformed and misled by sources that convinced her

但是我媽受到一些消息誤導，

這些消息說服她慈愛的父母 是不會讓孩子接種疫苗的

that if she was a loving parent, she wouldn't vaccinate.

Now, when I encountered this and I talked to my mom,

而，當我無意間得知 這件事時，我與我媽談

it didn't obviously go well at first,

一開始並不是非常順利

because I was wanting to do something

因為我想做的事

她認為這件事會使我 罹患自閉症或導致終身殘廢

that she thought would either cause autism or maim me for the rest of my life,

我卻說我想接種，結果行不通

and I said I wanted to do this -- didn't really fly,

didn't really go well.

進展也不順利

But the thing that I found interesting

不過我發現有一件有趣的事

was that when I had started to get into this circumstance,

當我身處某些情境

do these interviews,

接受這些訪談時

there was one question I proposed.

我總有一個問題

雖然不是有建設性的問題：

Wasn't a positive one:

What in the world have I gotten myself into?

我究竟給自己招惹了甚麼

我不斷問自己

That's what I asked constantly,

因為，再一次重申，我並非 專業人士，只是一般的孩子

because, again, I am not an expert, I am a normal kid,

但現在我卻不斷在 CNN 以及福斯新聞上討論科學議題

and now I'm talking to CNN and Fox News about a scientific discussion

that really, should I be facilitating, should I be commenting on?

那真的是，我該繼續下去嗎？ 該繼續發表意見嗎？

And a lot of people questioned that, and for good reason.

很多人對此感到質疑 他們有非常正當的理由

But I never claimed things I didn't understand,

不過，我不對不懂的事發表言論

I talked about my personal experiences.

我所說的都與我個人經驗有關

And even at the Senate hearing,

在參議院公聽會中

I just talked about how misinformation is dangerous.

我也只提到到錯誤的訊息有多麼危險

My mom got a lot of her beliefs from social media, from Facebook

我媽從社群媒體上得到 許多看法，不論是臉書

and from organizations that were allowing their platforms to push lies

或是一些單位，他們使用的 平台尚未禁止發布不實的言論

that were very dangerous.

那些言論非常危險

Now, I also saw that as I was doing this --

在我發表言論同時我也看見 類似情形發生在我身上

and I was doing this as respectfully as I could,

我盡我所能展現尊重

及保持正確性

as accurately as I could --

有許多對我的批評 許多對我感到非常生氣的人

I was getting a lot of criticism, a lot of very angry people.

When I was in DC for that testimony I gave,

為了提供證詞，我到華盛頓特區

I was looking around the office building

我記得，當我在辦公大樓閒晃時

and three ladies got in an elevator with me

有三位女士跟我一起搭乘電梯

and said I'm the reason their children are being maimed and murdered

他們說我是導致他們孩子 殘廢和死亡的元兇

我跟希特勒沒有兩樣

and I'm basically Hitler.

So that was fun.

有趣吧

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So really, for most circumstances, for most teenagers and most people,

真的，大部分的情況下 大多數的青少年及大多數的人

when they get criticized, it leads to doubt.

受到批判時，都會開始懷疑

And that doubt leads to questioning, and that questioning leads to quitting.

懷疑會引發質疑，而質疑會讓人放棄

Because, when you have a topic that you're interested in,

你感興趣的議題

or a movement that you want to be a part of,

或是想參與的行動出現時

and you're taking a stance and saying what's true,

你表明立場並捍衛真理

good ideas don't avoid criticism.

因為良好的理念不怕他人的批評

And for especially young people, they have a hard time dealing with that,

對於特別年輕的人來說 面對這類的事情總是顯得棘手

and these important discussions that need young people to take a part in,

這些需要年輕人參與討論的重要議題

需投入許多心力

it takes a lot of commitment.

I'm not saying that I'm amazing, but here's what's important:

我不是在誇耀自己是多麼棒 但接下來重點來了

through me joining this movement and this important scientific discussion,

透過我參與這項行動 以及這項重要的科學探討

這些事情發生了

here's what happened.

臉書的平台不一樣了

Facebook changed their platform.

他們改變方式處理反疫苗相關內容

They were going to change how they approach anti-vax content.

亞馬遜甚至將自閉症 和疫苗接種資訊有誤的書下架

Amazon even removed misinformed books about autism and vaccines.

就在最近，GoFundMe 取消了反接種疫苗的活動

And recently, GoFundMe took down anti-vax campaigns.

We're talking about how movements like this are causing actual change,

我們所說的是經由這類行動 如何造成實質上的改變

actually impacting the way this game is played

影響賽局的進行

影響騙人的錯誤訊息

and the misinformation that's lying to people

and convincing them of very dangerous ideas.

影響說服人們的危險想法

Now, before I leave, because I only have a short amount of time,

現在，我只剩一小段時間就結束了

我想請你們將一件重要的事牢記心中

I want to give you one important thing to keep in mind.

這件事遠比其他事情來的重要

One important takeaway from this all.

你可以做些甚麼以及我做過甚麼

What you can do and what I did.

I didn't do amazing research and studies

我沒有嘔心瀝血的調查以及研究

and take information and present it to people;

沒有得到資訊並呈現給人們

我沒有與他人進行艱深

I didn't have deep, intellectual, scientific debates with people.

費盡心思的科學探討

All I did was share my story.

我只是將我的故事分享出去

And that's enough for most people:

對大部分的人來說已經足夠了

去了解一些傳聞 資料之外的真實人物

to understand the anecdotal experiences, the real people behind the data.

Because data doesn't resonate with people.

因為資料不會與人產生共鳴

但人會與人產生共鳴

People resonate with people.

你們必須在心中牢記這點

And you have to keep that in mind,

當談到某些議題

because when you are talking about a topic,

and you're sharing your story, and sharing what is important,

你分享你的故事，分享甚麼是重要的

you stay authentic.

維持自己的可信度

Stay authentic to the data, to the information,

維持資料，資訊的可信度

to the importance of this topic.

在這議題的重要性上

If I was talking to an individual

假設我和某個人談話時

and they said, "Why are vaccines important?"

他們問：「為什麼接種疫苗重要？」

我沒有其他答案

I would say nothing alongside any other answer,

I would not in any way fathomably give them answer outside of:

也不會透過任何方式 給出以下回答外的答案：

people are dying, and that's important.

因為人們會死去，這很重要

And that children are dying, and that's important.

孩子會死去，很重要

And that we're having disease outbreaks that should not be here.

這也會引起本不該發生的疾病

And I believe, as John Boyle put it,

我相信，就像約翰．博伊爾所說

這些疾病應該只出現在歷史課本上 而非繼續存在於我們之中

these diseases should be in history books and not in our communities.

因為這樣，你必須下定決心捍衛真理

So because of that, you need to make a personal decision to stand up for truth.

You need to make a personal decision for yourself

為了自己下定決心

to say, "This is accurate, this is what's real,

並說：「這是正確的，這是真的

and these lies are not OK."

那些謊言是不好的。」

Because it started with me doing that on a personal level.

這件事是從我個人開始著手進行的

I wasn't going from small town to Senate in a day.

不是一天之內就從小鎮進展到參議院

It wasn't like, I go to bed, I wake up

不是說，睡了一覺，起床後

and there's Senator Isakson, asking me questions about vaccines.

艾薩克森參議員就在那邊 等著問我疫苗接種的相關問題

這是一個很漫長的過程 事情會開始是因為我說

It was a slow progression and it started with me saying,

"This is true,

「這是真的」

「雖然我媽媽不相信，不過沒關係。」

my mom doesn't believe it, but that's OK."

Because that doesn't change the truth,

因為事實不會因此而不一樣

doesn't change what's accurate and what's important.

正確以及重要的部分也不會改變

And honestly, the biggest thing,

說真的，最重要的問題是

this whole idea of unbreakable: remain unbroken.

這個堅不可摧的想法依舊無法被打破

When you stand up for what's true and you have that criticism,

你為真理挺身而出時 同時也會有對你的批判

and you're trying to cause a movement, don't sway.

當你試著做些甚麼時 千萬不要受到動搖

Thank you.

謝謝

(Applause)

（掌聲）