Vaccines: a noble purpose morphed into rigid ideology

Hoffer explains that mass movements often begin with a noble cause, something that addresses a real problem or injustice. The initial mission may have wide public support because it tackles a clear enemy (e.g., stopping Hitler, eradicating smallpox).
However, once the movement gains momentum, it can take on a life of its own. What starts as a specific, targeted solution becomes generalized, expanding far beyond its original scope. (Now we must fight in Korea, now in Vietnam, now in Afghanistan, in Iraq, in Ukraine...)
With vaccines, the original targeted use to fight specific deadly diseases morphed into a much broader vaccination regime, where the original goal of public health expanded into the dangerously ridiculous, such as the Universal Hepatitis B vaccination program where every single newborn is to be vaccinated because the CDC can't reach the tiny number of prostitutes and drug abusers who really could benefit from the vaccine.

Hoffer’s insight that movements can turn tools into doctrines is key here. Vaccines, like military intervention, were originally tools to address specific threats. But over time, these tools were elevated into unquestionable doctrines. In the case of vaccines, the idea that they are universally beneficial and should be mandated for all has become a core belief for many in the public health establishment, even when the situation (or disease risk) is miniscule.
This reflects what Hoffer saw in many mass movements: over time, means become ends. The original flexibility or wisdom behind the tool is lost, and it becomes an all-or-nothing proposition. The movement defines itself not just by its original goal but by its commitment to applying the tool in every situation, often without nuance.

Hoffer argues that mass movements tend to overreach when they become successful. Once they gain traction, they seek to apply their principles to new areas, often far beyond the original scope of the problem. This can lead to unintended consequences and opposition.
Ever expanding vaccine mandates for HepB, HPV, Chickenpox, firing employees (including healthcare workers!) for refusing the COVID shot all follow the same pattern as the overreach seen in the War on Poverty, War on Drugs, War on Terrorism or the attempted Great Weakening of Russia. A problem that might have benefited from a measured (or negotiated) approach instead becomes a sprawling campaign that creates new problems, alienates people, provokes resistance and creates grave new risks.

Once movements become ideological, practicality can give way to dogma. Hoffer notes that movements often begin with practical, achievable goals, but as they evolve, they take on an ideological character, where questioning or moderating the movement becomes heretical.
In the case of vaccines, what started as a highly effective public health intervention against diseases like smallpox or polio is now treated as an untouchable ideal by some. Any critique or skepticism, even reasonable questions about specific vaccines, risks being labeled anti-science or even a death-causing criminal. This reflects Hoffer’s point that once a movement gains enough power, it often becomes intolerant of dissent and refuses to consider that its methods or scope might need adjustment.

Hoffer emphasizes that movements define themselves by their enemies. To maintain their momentum and justify further expansion, they must constantly create or identify new threats. In the case of wars, the enemy shifts over time: from Nazi Germany to communism, then terrorism, then drugs, then Putin, etc. Similarly, with vaccines, the perceived enemy has expanded from deadly diseases to anyone who questions the prevailing narrative.
The demonization of those who question vaccines or opt out of certain vaccines has become a part of the movement, where dissenters are seen not as individuals making personal health decisions, but as threats to the movement’s goals. This aligns with Hoffer’s observation that movements often become intolerant of any deviation from their core beliefs, persecuting those who don’t fall in line.

Hoffer warns of mission creep, where a movement loses sight of its original goal and becomes about sustaining itself or imposing its worldview on others. This happens when movements become institutionalized. They no longer merely seek to solve problems; they also seek to justify their existence by continuously expanding their reach.
With vaccines, what began as an effort to protect the public from a small number of deadly diseases has become a bureaucratic system of school mandates and control that continues to expand, even when the original diseases are no longer as threatening - backed by thousands of pediatric practices whose very business model is based upon full vaccination and amplification of a fading threat even while ignoring the rapid rise of chronic childhood diseases.
Pharmaceutical companies, with billions of dollars at stake, have a vested interest in maintaining the vaccine movement's dominant narrative. They benefit from widespread compliance, and any dissent or challenge to the safety, efficacy, or necessity of vaccines threatens their bottom line.

Hoffer would argue that this is an inevitable outcome of any movement that achieves success and power. Over time, the movement becomes less about solving the original problem and more about enforcing a worldview, growing its influence, and marginalizing dissent.
The good news is that monstrous overreach during COVID lockdowns has woken up many parents who never once questioned vaccines before.
Every time you reject at least one vaccine or create your own custom Vaccination Plan, you reject their narrative, weaken their control, erode the pediatric business model, create a small victory for freedom, and take control of your child's health.