Why would anyone do that?

[Swerd]

Somehow, I've been fascinated by these two news items:

Measles outbreak: California family wants schools to ban kids without vaccine

Woman known for feeding bears found dead in NC woods

The first story is interesting because I'm amazed anyone would be against vaccinations. The second story amazes me because why would anyone ever do that. I guess they're related.

 

[its phillip]

anti-vaccine people are the worst.

 

[Swerd]

Maybe the anti-vaccine people would be better off if they fed their children to bears.

 

[Dan]

Maybe the anti-vaccine people would be better off if they fed their children to bears.

No but the rest of us would be...

 

[markw]

for the first, I guess they feel that since that particular disease has pretty much been wiped out they no longer need to take precautions against it. Of course that totally ignores the fact that the only reason that disease was wiped out was because of the vaccine in the first place. to wit: Polio and the measles haven't been seen in this country for many years until recently when the "no vaccine" crowd started making noise. Now, it's everyone else's fault but their own.

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/01/24/destroy-anti-vaxxers-arguments/

As for mother nature, I guess she figured that the bears wouldn't bite the hand that feeds her. Darwin in action.

 

[KEW]

I know a couple of stories where a person got their perfectly healthy kid vaccinated and their kid died within two weeks from some fluke/poorly explained condition. Statistically, it happens.
As humans, it is our nature to want a clean explanation when a loved one dies. One reaction is to blame the coincident vaccine. These people then devote a lot of energy into convincing others of their "desired truth".
It is a fool's errand to attempt to have a logical dialogue with someone in such an emotionally charged situation as their child dying.

Playing the devils advocate, it may well be that the vaccination lowered their immune system as they were battling the vaccine, thus allowing the other disease easier access. That said, the benefits far outweigh the risks of such a fluke.

And, my daughter gets her vaccinations!

 

[Swerd]

It is a fool's errand to attempt to have a logical dialogue with someone in such an emotionally charged situation as their child dying.

You're right about that. Logic doesn't work for this.

But, if we can prevent kids from bringing peanut butter sandwiches to school, if we require auto insurance to drive on public roads, and if we require dogs to be vaccinated against rabies before they can run in dog parks, damn-it-all, we can also require parents to vaccinate their kids.

Vaccines are highly effective, safe, abundant, and cheap. There is no excuse for not vaccinating kids.

 

[Swerd]

As for mother nature, I guess she figured that the bears wouldn't bite the hand that feeds her. Darwin in action.

Too true, but this woman was 67 years old, too old for natural selection.

If a bear got her before she was old enough to reproduce, then we could shrug and say Darwin was right.

 

[Swerd]

"The benefit of measles vaccination in preventing illness, disability, and death has been well documented. The first 20 years of licensed measles vaccination in the U.S. prevented an estimated 52 million cases of the disease, 17,400 cases of mental retardation, and 5,200 deaths." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measles_vaccine

An estimated 52 million cases of measles and 5,200 deaths were prevented since the vaccine was introduced, through 2007. Deaths from measles in the USA had been about 1 in 1000 cases. Serious side effects of the vaccine are extremely rare – too rare to accurately predict with statistical significance. This is hard data. Tell Jenny McCarthy to put that in her pipe and smoke it.

There, I guess I still had some left in me. \Rant over\

 

[herbu]

I guess she figured that the bears wouldn't bite the hand that feeds her.

Somewhere, a tree is missing its hug.

 

[Swerd]

I'm still steamed over this…
A pediatrician in Santa Monica, CA does not believe the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine should be required, and that measles isn't as dangerous as made out to be.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pediatrician-delaying-measles-vaccine-outbreak-have-anecdotal-data/

He said, "I think that measles could return to the United States if we stop vaccinating. I'm not advocating that people stop giving the MMR, I'm advocating that parents have the right to choose how and when they get that vaccine."

"I have no evidence based medicine, there's no research saying that," said Gordon. "I have anecdotal data that has told me that. Anecdotal data does not stand up to public scrutiny. It's easy to attack. I have had, as I've said, many parents tell me that their child has been harmed by the MMR."

Here's what I think. This so-called physician should be investigated by the California Medical Licensing board and if they think its appropriate, remove his license to practice. I would further advocate Public Dope Slapping for this moron.

 

[jcparks]

My boy has been diagnosed with high functioning autism... and i am convinced it has nothing to do with the immunizations that he received as an infant. I have problems explaining to coworkers that his issues have nothing to do with the immunizations though. It just bothers me how much a little media can influence people who don't bother to do proper research on things.. one of my coworkers literally refuses to immunize his kids due to all the crap in the media...
I feel you swerd I really do.

 

[markw]

It just bothers me how much a little media can influence people who don't bother to do proper research on things..

I'm sorry about your son, JC but this statement is exactly why I fear for this country. The media controls us, not unlike blinders on a horse. He who controls the media, controls he country.

 

[Ponzio]

The irony in all this that the anti-vac's are usually the middle class & up and well educated. I could understand if these myth's sprouted among the poor and uneducated. Proof that moron's come from all over the socio-economic spectrum. There has been a spike in autism in this country and as of yet scientists have not been able to trace the problem, from what I've read (Time, Washington Post, NY Times), so seemingly rational people start grabbing at straws for an answer and sadly endanger us all. What totally baffles me though is that people are taking Jenny McCarthy seriously on the subject. Really!?!?!?

 

[Alex2507]

I asked a guy who works with mentally challenged adults why we had a such a high rate of autism compared to say 50 years ago. He suggested that part of that is due to heightened awareness of the condition. 50 years ago it was more likely that mild autism would just go undiagnosed. I think it was something Nancy Reagan put in the drinking water.

Just say, "YO"!!!

I want to know who the sadistic SOB was that had the brainstorm of not using Novocaine on kids getting fillings back in the 70's. When they work the kinks out of time travel I want to go back to New York, 1971, some dentist's office: with an axe.

 

[Swerd]

My boy has been diagnosed with high functioning autism... and i am convinced it has nothing to do with the immunizations that he received as an infant. I have problems explaining to coworkers that his issues have nothing to do with the immunizations though. It just bothers me how much a little media can influence people who don't bother to do proper research on things.. one of my coworkers literally refuses to immunize his kids due to all the crap in the media...
I feel you swerd I really do.

I'm sorry to read about your son's autism, and about the frustration you've had with the widespread misconception about what caused it. But I'm glad to see you understand that nothing simple, like a vaccine to a viral disease, caused it.

It is clear that no one in science or medicine understands what leads to autism. No one is even in agreement what are the variety of mental development syndromes that all get lumped under that one name. These definitions of autism have changed over the last 20-30 years. That is probably why the unthinking public has been fooled into believing there is an autism epidemic.

But it is very clear that the neither the MMR vaccine, nor the various chemical compounds that are added to it as stabilizers and preservatives (such as thimerisol), have any link to autism. That experiment has been done on a large population, and the answer is NO. In Denmark, health care is given to all residents, and the records they keep are good. The MMR vaccine was routinely given to nearly everyone since the 1960s. In the 1990, thimerisol was removed from the MMR vaccine because of the widespread, but false, fear that it caused problems. (Thimerisol was added to prevent bacteria from growing as the vaccine is stored long term. It was replaced by other agents that prevent bacterial growth.) Since the 1990s, a large population of children in Denmark received the MMR vaccine formulated without thimerisol. The Danish records showed the incidence of autism continued to increase, despite the absence of thimerisol in MMR and other vaccines for over a dozen years. And the Danish data also showed that autism continued to increase in those who did not receive the MMR vaccine!

Although we still do not know what causes autism, the Danish evidence clearly rules out the MMR vaccine and thimerisol as possible causes. This evidence is ignored by the ignorant anti-vaccine people of the world.

 

[psbfan9]

As to why, it may be this simple. Mercury and religion.

 

[Swerd]

As to why, it may be this simple. Mercury and religion.

I get the mercury part. Mercury is part of the thimerosol molecule. But I don't get the religion part at all.

Edit: Is there some wacko religion that includes mercury as a ritual ???

The amount of thimerosol in the vaccine is not toxic. It's been thoroughly tested. And I believe it was used in a variety of different vaccines over the years as a safe and effective preservative. None of those other vaccines were the target of the anti-vaccine crazies.

 

[Swerd]

I asked a guy who works with mentally challenged adults why we had a such a high rate of autism compared to say 50 years ago. He suggested that part of that is due to heightened awareness of the condition. 50 years ago it was more likely that mild autism would just go undiagnosed. I think it was something Nancy Reagan put in the drinking water.

Exactly!!!

No one has ruled out the Nancy Reagan & drinking water theory yet. So until then, we'll have to keep it on the list of suspects .

I want to know who the sadistic SOB was that had the brainstorm of not using Novocaine on kids getting fillings back in the 70's. When they work the kinks out of time travel I want to go back to New York, 1971, some dentist's office: with an axe.

I'll hold him down while you use the axe.

 

[KEW]

I want to know who the sadistic SOB was that had the brainstorm of not using Novocaine on kids getting fillings back in the 70's. When they work the kinks out of time travel I want to go back to New York, 1971, some dentist's office: with an axe.

But, but ...Nitrous Oxide!!!