Linus Torvalds Wants Everyone to Get Vaccinated and Stop Believing in Anti-vax Conspiracies

Linus Torvalds is furious again, and this time, again for a good reason.

Linux kernel mailing list is the place dedicated for discussions on kernel development. But, amidst the pandemic when vaccinations are in full swing all over the globe, there have been some anti-vax comments going around as well.

But, Linus Torvalds took a stand against all the weird conspiracy theories and encouraged everyone to get vaccinated as well.

Linus Torvalds Responds to Anti-vax Comments

To start with, he addressed the fact that anti-vax comments never make sense and no one should listen to them:

Please keep your insane and technically incorrect anti-vax comments to yourself.

You don’t know what you are talking about, you don’t know what mRNA is, and you’re spreading idiotic lies. Maybe you do so unwittingly, because of bad education. Maybe you do so because you’ve talked to “experts” or watched youtube videos by charlatans that don’t know what they are talking about. But dammit, regardless of where you have gotten your mis-information from, any Linux kernel discussion list isn’t going to have your idiotic drivel pass uncontested from me.

Vaccines have saved the lives of literally tens of millions of people.

Of course, vaccines have saved millions of lives and also continue to do so with more people taking the COVID-19 vaccines. They do work and have been effective to reduce the impact for several countries.

While there’s still work to do, it is an initial sign of hope which we did not have in 2020, thanks to the scientists.

Linus also gave a brief explanation on mRNA for people who thought vaccines will create a new humanoid race (sigh):

Just for your edification in case you are actually willing to be educated: mRNA doesn’t change your genetic sequence in any way. It is the same intermediate – and temporary – kind of material that your cells generate internally all the time as part of your normal cell processes, and all that the mRNA vaccines do is to add a dose their own specialized sequence that then makes your normal cell machinery generate that spike protein so that your body learns how to recognize it.
The half-life of mRNA is a few hours. Any injected mRNA will be all gone from your body in a day or two. It doesn’t change anything long-term, except for that natural “your body now knows how to recognize and fight off a new foreign protein” (which then tends to fade over time too, but lasts a lot longer than a few days). And yes, while your body learns to fight off that foreign material, you may feel like shit for a while. That’s normal, and it’s your natural response to your cells spending resources on learning how to deal with the new threat.

While we won’t be discussing medical science here – it is important to amplify the information as did Linus in this mailing list to educate other kernel developers and everyone else.

Also, he explains how the mRNA vaccines are one of the most modern and effective vaccines around, which do not change your genetics in any way.

It is important to know the science that goes in making these vaccines in order to bust the false rumors spread. Also, considering we have no other proven way to tackle against the COVID-19 virus, we should protect one another by taking the vaccine:

Honestly, anybody who has told you differently, and who has told you that it changes your genetic material, is simply uneducated. You need to stop believing the anti-vax lies, and you need to start protecting your family and the people around you. Get vaccinated.

Also, even if there are more variants of the virus in the near future, having taken the vaccine makes things more safe for you compared to no protection against it.

So, Linus insists to “SHUT THE HELL UP” and stop spreading lies while many lives are in danger:

So don’t feel all warm and fuzzy about the fact that covid cases have dropped a lot around you. Yes, all those vaccinated people around you will protect you too, but if there is another wave, possibly due to a more transmissible version – you and your family will be at _much_ higher risk than those vaccinated people because of your ignorance and mis-information. Get vaccinated.

Stop believing the anti-vax lies. And if you insist on believing in the crazy conspiracy theories, at least SHUT THE HELL UP about it on Linux kernel discussion lists.

Kernel discussion list is the least relevant place to put forward any conspiracy theories related to science, especially when it is a lie.

Torvalds sure knows how to respond to people (eh?). Share your thoughts in the comments down below.