Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Parents Receive Onslaught Of Hate From Anti-Vaxxers For Promoting Walgreens Flu Shots

Parents Receive Onslaught Of Hate From Anti-Vaxxers For Promoting Walgreens Flu Shots
@thisiswherewestarted / Instagram

There's nothing like parenting to bring out the "experts" and the naysayers.

With the rise of the #WalgreensFluFighter hashtag on Instagram, this week's topic of choice is whether or not to vaccinate our children—and the anti-vaxxers are taking it personally.


As a part of this year's promotional materials and their mission to improve everyone's health nationwide, Walgreens has launched the hashtag #WalgreensFluFighter in partnership with leading social media influencers.

Those with more than twenty-thousand followers on Instagram, as well as social leaders in the health and parenting niches, received an email from Walgreens' marketing department. For this season, influencers have the opportunity to receive $200 after receiving their annual flu shot at their local Walgreens pharmacy and sharing their flu shot story on Instagram, with the hashtags "WalgreensFluFighter" and "ad."

Unfortunately, what should have been a simple visit to the pharmacy and a quick Instagram post has come at quite a cost to some influencers—though the cost is nothing medical.

Rather, anti-vaxxers have swiftly moved in on the movement.

They've been using the movement's hashtag as a way to draw attention to their own agenda. They've also been actively posting on vaccination positive posts in condescending and even threatening ways.

One family, Bryce and Jeffrey of @thisiswherewestarted, a same-sex couple with two children, are used to negative comments. But nothing compared to what they received after participating in Walgreen's sponcon.

Bryce and Jeffrey said:

"There were comments talking about how we don't deserve children or that we might as well just kill our children. Being a same-sex couple, we are used to people leaving mean comments while hiding behind their keyboard. We were shocked at the level of comments we received."

And the couple is not alone. Other Instagram influencers have received similar treatment from anti-vaxxers.

Mom Shannon of @boys_plus_triplets, experienced the irony that is often brought on by anti-vaxxers after they threatened her life for trying to take care of her children.

Shannon said:

"I was personally attacked by many of them and received some very threatening messages, which was very ironic [because] they wanted to hurt me for choosing to keep my children healthy."

Laura of @frugalforluxury experienced similar responses, some so severe that she considered keeping her children home from a family trip, fearing some of her more extreme attackers would track her down.

Laura said:

"The most vicious were saying that I'm poisoning my family… that it is child neglect."

On the flip-side, many on Twitter argued refusing to receive vaccinations is a form of child abuse.

They also pointed out how it endangers the surrounding community.


Whether or not a family decides to vaccinate, however, should not be cause for threatening remarks.

More from Trending

Donald Trump
Mehmet Eser/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Demands 'Boss Of AT&T' Fix Equipment After Failed Conference Call In Bizarre Meltdown

When most of us have technical difficulties, we contact tech support or customer service.

But if you're President of the United States, just ranting on social media—then having your White House Press Secretary post a screenshot of your post on a social media platform people actually use—is apparently the answer.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Lauren Boebert speaking to Alex Stein
Prime Time with Alex Stein/Blaze Media

Lauren Boebert Casts Doubt On Moon Landing During Wild Interview With Conspiracy Theorist

Colorado Republican Representative Lauren Boebert was criticized after she seemingly agreed with the conspiracy theory that the moon landing was faked in a wide-ranging interview with conservative conspiracy theorist Alex Stein.

The segment began with the duo casting doubt on nuclear weapons—Boebert even joked about needing "tin foil"—and moved into weirder territory when Stein praised Boebert for "vibing" with him on the topic of the moon landing. Conspiracy theorists have long alleged the moon landing was fabricated by NASA in what they claim was an elaborate hoax.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rosie O'Donnell; Oprah Winfrey
Simon Ackerman/Getty Images; Ernesto Ruscio/GC Images

Rosie O'Donnell Calls Out Oprah For Attending Jeff Bezos' Wedding In Scathing Poem

Among the various celebrity hangers-on who attended Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's Venice wedding, the one that seemed to generate the most controversy was Oprah Winfrey.

After all, a woman known for her progressive politics whose entire ethos is about teaching people how to be their best selves, attending the wedding of man who directly funded a fascist regime dismantling our country before our eyes doesn't exactly add up.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lisa Murkowski
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Lisa Murkowski Slammed After Criticizing Massive Budget Bill She Just Voted For

Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski was slammed after she claimed that President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill is "not there yet" despite casting the deciding vote to narrowly pass it before sending it back to the House.

In a marathon voting session, the Senate narrowly passed the legislation in a 51-50 vote, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote after three Republicans joined all Democrats in opposition.

Keep ReadingShow less
Woman listening to her boyfriend play guitar
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Things People Initially Found Attractive About Their Partner That Now Annoy Them

Being in a relationship can be wonderful, but it's not without its ups and downs.

In order for it to work, we have to allow it to grow and change over time rather than being locked forever into what it was when we first started dating our person.

Keep ReadingShow less