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Are they religious? You can use that against them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_drowning_man
During the COVID-19 pandemic, modified versions, in which the religious man refuses several entreaties to wear a mask and later to get vaccinated, finding out after his death from the disease that God motivated those people as well, circulated among Christian communities to counter vaccine hesitancy.
Tell them Covid is Satan's doing, and God sent the vaccines.
My mom said basically the same thing, putting a date of 2 years on anyone who got the vaccine. Here we are way past that mark.
She's still a lunatic, and I've been low contact with her for months now.
Oh my god I met a few of those people. Every single person that died they'd say it was the vaccine. Every time a headline about a celebrity that dies "yeah they SAY it was cancer, but they took the vaccine only 6 months ago, know what im saying? Open your eyes!"
Like mate, people aren't just going to stop dying.
Tell them the vaccine for not being whalloped with your baseball bat is to shut up about that stupid anti-vaxxer shit and you highly recommend they take that vaccine.
A lot of people are saying cut them off, but I have a family member who was into the anti-vax conspiracy theories and kinda still is, but it's much less of a focus now and is pretty obviously just being carried forward by cognitive dissonance at this point. There will never be total victory, but there can be a reasonable truce.
What I'd suggest is the most counter-intuitive strategy - show genuine interest. Say "Ok, I want to know more, but I need you to be specific. Tell me what your theory is and what the evidence is, I'll take my time looking at it, and respond in detail."
Keep in mind, they probably won't pay attention to whatever your respond with. That's ok. The response isn't the point, pinning them down on what they think is. So often these things are purely emotional, and forcing them into a logical framework will make them do the work for you. As for the response, odds are it's some combination of cherry-picked data and spurious correlations, if not outright made up facts. Think of alternate explanations for what they're showing you that are more plausible than a vaccine killing people. And remember that if the vaccine really was killing people, it would be really obvious, not something we need look deep into the matrix to find.
My sister once tried to come at me with the 5g antenna vaccine thing.
"Do you have a source? That sounds like fox news."
She spent almost an hour on her phone trying to find something credible and then never brought it up again.
I’ve been waiting for over a year now for my dad to send me his source for “the new information that’s come out about the vaccines” when he asked me if I regretted getting it yet…
Wow, wasn't expecting a reasonable and emotionally grounded response as one of the top comments.
Keep up the good work my dude.
You're not going to satisfy unmet emotional needs with logical arguments.
So often these things are purely emotional, and forcing them into a logical framework will make them do the work for you.
This is a good point. While I was recruiting, they used to say that people make decisions based on emotion and then later go back and try to use logic to explain why they did it.
I have been also suggesting to these people I meet in the real world that it's probably the micro-plastics that are causing the rise in deaths/autism/whatever bullshit they say. I'm trying to get them to focus on more environmental stuff and blaming companies.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
You can't logic someone out of something they didn't logic themselves into, and they definitely got emotionally attached to antivax before they found "statistics" to back shit up.
This is the answer.
You can't reason someone out of an unreasonable position.
The only response is to ask them what evidence they would require to change their position.
They'll inevitably reveal that their assertions are merely beliefs because it's not practically possible to prove nor disprove them.
"If you think the world's top scientists are trying to kill you, then why would you listen to any expert about anything? They'll save you from yourself when you're wrong anyway. Would you do the same for them? That's why they're trustworthy, and you and your sources are not."
It's been three years, where are all the bodies? Where are the people crying out for their lost loved ones?
Oh that's right, the ones who died, died of disease and you can talk to their families online and learn about what happened.
I’ve had about 9 boosters at this point, and my nuts are so swollen from spike proteins that when I go to Walmart, they accuse me of trying to steal basketballs.
Not everything requires a response and at some point you have to pick your battles. They have revealed to you that they are an idiot. It is not your job to fix them.
Seriously, I've had multiple conversations with my BIL where he comes over to me and says something insane, and my response is just "huh okayyy...." and I walk away without saying anything else. I don't care to be polite anymore.
I'm often a dick. I probably wouldn't say anything immediately, and then use that asinine opinion to dismiss anything else the person says later. Forever. They say something about , "Yeah, but you also think vaccines kill people, so we already know you are an idiot." Just on repeat on every opinion they voice, until they never want to say anything around me or talk to me.
Agree with them. Tell them that yes indeed there is a deep state that wants to kill as many people as possible by spreading disinformation causing morons not to take the vaccines so more stupid people die. It's eugenics really and very, very heinous. Wait wasn't that what they meant?
You stop speaking to them.
They'll either come to realize that there are real world consequences for being a dumb asshole, like their friends and family abandoning them....or they won't. Either way, you win.
I heard You'll die in six months at Thanksgiving one year.
"Really? Holy fuck, I'm immortal! Call the press! Wait, no, I don't want to be locked in a room and tested for 40 years, maybe we all just keep this our little secret."
I had this problem.
I stopped talking to them.
You just stop talking to them entirely. Sorry.
Disengage and choose your family
I generally reframe it from a perspective even they think they understand: Money.
Governments want their money. Less Population = Less Taxes for them to take, ergo, no government is trying to lower their population. And do they, the audience, think that the government is willing to have less money?
I don't think so!
Ask for the comparison in excess deaths comparison of vaccinated versus unvaccinated.
Don't bother. Anything bad you say will be dismissed as a 'smear' campaign against that person because 'they' (big pharma, the millions of scientists who are all in on "it") don't want you to know and they'll just shut off against you. Just take a step back from the dolt.
Maybe not the answer you’re looking for, but I have an uncle like that.
I suggest going no contact if you can.
Reason being, they don’t care about facts, nothing you say will convince them.
Tell them that you're a sheeple, and got the safe dose of the vaccine, since they want to keep the compliant people around. Tell them it's too bad they're on "the list" of bad people.
What's the best way to respond to a family member who says the COVID vaccines are being used to depopulate?
"You are a fucking idiot" usually does the job.
Tell them that's completely true, and that if they keeps spreading the truth the black vans will come for them, they know too much.
The birds have already heard the rumors, and the clock is ticking. They better do something and shut up before they end up in "the facility".
You could agree, that there are those internationally trying to kill members of the general public. Not with vaccinations, but with misinformation. Anyone they can convince, has a chance to die. Tell them to not be a stupid lemming.
I knew several people who died from COVID and one died from health complications later. I know my reality, but I guess others may need to face death directly to learn the hard lesson.
"How to speak to a vaccine sceptic: research reveals what works Hesitancy about vaccinations is on the rise, but studies show there are specific ways to address people's questions."
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01771-z
Optimistic, but a start maybe.
I told their grandmother how silly they are.
Straightened them right out. (Happened with my close friends family)
encourage them to go to therapy
Are people still talking about Covid vaccines? Aren’t there new conspiracies to move onto. How about Biden being a robot?
Just ask them to pass the potato salad.
People who believe in these types of theories usually want to feel part of a club or may just be gullible. Pulling up charts and figures likely will not help as they often dismiss it or change the theory. Listening to them and asking them why they feel that way and where they got the information can cause them to critically think about it and start to form the cracks in the theory. If you think you're getting somewhere, maybe ask why vaccines and not another, more accessible form of medicine.
In this case, it sounds like the family doctor may be the source. Clarify exactly what this doctor said and what they would prescribe instead of a vaccine. It may be something homeopathic or a scam, or something else indicating the doctor is spreading a vaccine lie for their own gain.
If you're getting nowhere, consider if this family member has a history of mental illness. Some disorders make people prone to skepticism and a general mistrust of the world, or cause magical thinking. Schizophrenia, bipolar (manic episodes), and OCD can sometimes be hard to spot.
Unfortunately, it could also be something ego-centered, and being "in" on a theory forms a core part of their identity, separating them from the "sheep". They could be unempathetic to the idea of their actions spreading disease, or annoyed at the idea they have to take action to protect themselves. Based on the number of emotional responses in this thread and the general advice to block them or call them names, this is, sadly, a very likely cause. In this case, the best thing you can do is protect yourself by getting the vaccine that they won't and limit physical contact. It's a very sad reality that this line of selfish thinking has become extremely prevalent since COVID. I also had a vaccine skeptic family member who only gave it up once they caught COVID. They were lucky; take a look at r/DarwinAward to see the damage vaccine denialism causes.
Stay safe OP. I hope there is light for your family member.
"If that were true, I'd be trying even harder to make you take it."