The alarming anti-vaccination movement will see some representation of their wrong ways in a video game soon. Fans of 2012 game Plague Inc. has made a petition to include anti-vaxxers as a buff for simulation game about spreading a pathogen infection to bring the end of mankind
Developers Ndemic Creations have publicly endorsed a change.org petition to add a new anti-vaxxer scenario, specifically making their presence a buff to your infection growth. 10,000 signatures were required for them to consider doing it.
The petition simply reads: “Anti-vaxxers are stupid.”
Ok, fine! 😛 If this petition gets to 10k, will add a specific new anti-vaxxer scenario to Plague Inc. https://t.co/DJjmRFpOMa
— Plague Inc. / Rebel Inc. (@NdemicCreations) February 24, 2019
And the petition reached that milestone. At the time of writing, it has more than double the 10,000 signatures requirement.
As such, the developers have confirmed that they are working on it.
Alright, alright! You spoke, we listened. Neurie's very happy to hear that we're going to start figuring out anti-vaxxers soon. He's dying to try and get inside their heads. https://t.co/fYq09awgJc pic.twitter.com/Sof0aJE0yw
— Plague Inc. / Rebel Inc. (@NdemicCreations) February 26, 2019
Plague Inc. first released on mobile in 2012 and is also on PC (Steam) in 2016 with Plague Inc: Evolved. On PC, players can create their own custom scenarios, there’s already one based on Resident Evil’s zombie virus.
But seeing how the anti-vaccination movement affects the spread of a potential mankind-wiping plague in the safe space of a video game should give a strong argument about its dangers.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a government institution in the USA, has been using Plague Inc. to teach people how diseases spread, so there’s some legitimacy on the simulation model here.