Note: The content of this article was written
by Dr. Jennifer Raff for her blog, Violent Metaphors.
It is being rehosted here with permission.
You can click on the above hyperlink to view the original
and engage in the lively discussion in the comments section.....
by Dr. Jennifer Raff for her blog, Violent Metaphors.
It is being rehosted here with permission.
You can click on the above hyperlink to view the original
and engage in the lively discussion in the comments section.....
In light of recent outbreaks of measles and other vaccine preventable illnesses,
and the refusal of anti-vaccination advocates to acknowledge the problem,
I thought it was past time for this post.
Dear parents,
You are being lied to.
The people who claim to be acting in the best interests of your children are
putting their health and even lives at risk.
and the refusal of anti-vaccination advocates to acknowledge the problem,
I thought it was past time for this post.
Dear parents,
You are being lied to.
The people who claim to be acting in the best interests of your children are
putting their health and even lives at risk.
They say that vaccines aren’t that effective at preventing disease.
But 3 million children’s lives are saved every year by vaccination,
and 2 million die every year from vaccine-preventable illnesses.
But 3 million children’s lives are saved every year by vaccination,
and 2 million die every year from vaccine-preventable illnesses.
They say that vaccines haven’t been rigorously tested for safety.
But vaccines are subjected to a higher level of scrutiny than any other medicine.
For example, this study tested the safety and effectiveness of the pneumococcal
vaccine in more than 37,868 children.
But vaccines are subjected to a higher level of scrutiny than any other medicine.
For example, this study tested the safety and effectiveness of the pneumococcal
vaccine in more than 37,868 children.
They will say that doctors won’t admit there are any side effects to vaccines.
But the side effects are well known, and except in very rare cases quite mild.
But the side effects are well known, and except in very rare cases quite mild.
They say that the MMR vaccine causes autism.
It doesn’t. (The question of whether
vaccines cause autism has been investigated in study after study,
and they all show overwhelming evidence that they don’t.)
It doesn’t. (The question of whether
vaccines cause autism has been investigated in study after study,
and they all show overwhelming evidence that they don’t.)
They say that thimerosal in vaccines causes autism.
It doesn’t, and it hasn’t been in most vaccines since 2001 anyway.
It doesn’t, and it hasn’t been in most vaccines since 2001 anyway.
They say that the aluminum in vaccines
(an adjuvant, or component of the vaccine designed to enhance the body’s
immune response) is harmful to children.
But children consume more aluminum in natural breast milk than they do
in vaccines, and far higher levels of aluminum are needed to cause harm.
(an adjuvant, or component of the vaccine designed to enhance the body’s
immune response) is harmful to children.
But children consume more aluminum in natural breast milk than they do
in vaccines, and far higher levels of aluminum are needed to cause harm.
They say that the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System
(and/or the “vaccine court”) proves that vaccines are harmful.
It doesn’t.
(and/or the “vaccine court”) proves that vaccines are harmful.
It doesn’t.
They say that the normal vaccine schedule is too difficult for a child’s
immune system to cope with.
It isn’t.
immune system to cope with.
It isn’t.
They say that if other people’s children are vaccinated, there’s no need
for their children to get vaccinated.
for their children to get vaccinated.
This is one of the most despicable arguments I’ve ever heard.
First of all, vaccines aren’t always 100% effective, so it is possible
for a vaccinated child to still become infected if exposed to a disease.
Worse, there are some people who can’t receive vaccinations, because
they are immune deficient, or because they are allergic to some component.
Those people depend upon herd immunity to protect them.
People who choose not to vaccinate their children against infectious diseases
are putting not only their own children at risk, but also other people’s children.
First of all, vaccines aren’t always 100% effective, so it is possible
for a vaccinated child to still become infected if exposed to a disease.
Worse, there are some people who can’t receive vaccinations, because
they are immune deficient, or because they are allergic to some component.
Those people depend upon herd immunity to protect them.
People who choose not to vaccinate their children against infectious diseases
are putting not only their own children at risk, but also other people’s children.
They say that ‘natural’, ‘alternative’ remedies are better than science-based medicine.
They aren’t.
They aren’t.
The truth is that vaccines are one of our
greatest public health achievements, and one of the most important things you
can do to protect your child.
greatest public health achievements, and one of the most important things you
can do to protect your child.
I can predict exactly the sort of response I will be getting from the anti-vaccine activists.
Because they can’t argue effectively against the overwhelming scientific evidence
about vaccines, they will say that I work for Big Pharma. (I don’t and never have).
They will say that I’m not a scientist (I am),and that I’m an “Agent 666”
(I don’t know what that is, but I’m pretty sure that I’m not one).
Because they can’t argue effectively against the overwhelming scientific evidence
about vaccines, they will say that I work for Big Pharma. (I don’t and never have).
They will say that I’m not a scientist (I am),and that I’m an “Agent 666”
(I don’t know what that is, but I’m pretty sure that I’m not one).
None of these things are true, but they are the reflexive response by the anti-vaccine
activists because they have no facts to back up their position.
On some level, deep down, they must understand this, and are afraid of the implications,
so they attack the messenger.
activists because they have no facts to back up their position.
On some level, deep down, they must understand this, and are afraid of the implications,
so they attack the messenger.
Why are they lying to you? Some are doing it for profit, trying to sell their
alternative remedies by making you afraid of science-based medicine.
I’m sure that many others within the anti-vaccine movement have genuinely
good intentions, and do honestly believe that vaccines are harmful.
But as a certain astrophysicist recently said
“The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it”.
In the case of vaccine truthers, this is not a good thing.
Good intentions will not prevent microbes from infecting and harming people,
and the message that vaccines are dangerous is having dire consequences.
There are outbreaks of vaccine-preventable illnesses now
throughout the United States because of unvaccinated children.
alternative remedies by making you afraid of science-based medicine.
I’m sure that many others within the anti-vaccine movement have genuinely
good intentions, and do honestly believe that vaccines are harmful.
But as a certain astrophysicist recently said
“The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it”.
In the case of vaccine truthers, this is not a good thing.
Good intentions will not prevent microbes from infecting and harming people,
and the message that vaccines are dangerous is having dire consequences.
There are outbreaks of vaccine-preventable illnesses now
throughout the United States because of unvaccinated children.
In only one respect is my message the same as the anti-vaccine activists:
Educate yourself. But while they mean “Read all these websites that support our position”,
I suggest you should learnwhat the scientific community says.
Learn how the immune system works.
Go read about the history of disease before vaccines, and talk to older people
who grew up when polio, measles,
and other diseases couldn’t be prevented.
Go read about how vaccines are developed, and how they work.
Read about Andrew Wakefield, and how his paper that claimed a link between
the MMR vaccine and autism has been withdrawn, and his medical license
has been revoked.
Read the numerous, huge studies that have explicitly examined whether autism
is caused by the vaccine…and found nothing.
(While you’re at it, read about the ongoing research to determine what IS the cause
—or causes —of autism, which is not helped by people continuing to
insist that vaccines cause it).
Educate yourself. But while they mean “Read all these websites that support our position”,
I suggest you should learnwhat the scientific community says.
Learn how the immune system works.
Go read about the history of disease before vaccines, and talk to older people
who grew up when polio, measles,
and other diseases couldn’t be prevented.
Go read about how vaccines are developed, and how they work.
Read about Andrew Wakefield, and how his paper that claimed a link between
the MMR vaccine and autism has been withdrawn, and his medical license
has been revoked.
Read the numerous, huge studies that have explicitly examined whether autism
is caused by the vaccine…and found nothing.
(While you’re at it, read about the ongoing research to determine what IS the cause
—or causes —of autism, which is not helped by people continuing to
insist that vaccines cause it).
That may seem like a lot of work, and scientific papers can seem intimidating to read.
But reading scientific articles is a skill that can be mastered.
Here’s a great resource for evaluating medical information on the internet,
and I wrote a guide for non-scientists on how to read and understand the scientific literature.
You owe it to your children, and to yourself, to thoroughly investigate the issue.
Don’t rely on what some stranger on the internet says (not even me!).
Read the scientific studies that I linked to in this post for yourself, and talk to your pediatricians.
Despite what the anti-vaccine community is telling you, you don’t need to be afraid
of the vaccines.
You should instead be afraid of what happens without them.
iflscience.com
But reading scientific articles is a skill that can be mastered.
Here’s a great resource for evaluating medical information on the internet,
and I wrote a guide for non-scientists on how to read and understand the scientific literature.
You owe it to your children, and to yourself, to thoroughly investigate the issue.
Don’t rely on what some stranger on the internet says (not even me!).
Read the scientific studies that I linked to in this post for yourself, and talk to your pediatricians.
Despite what the anti-vaccine community is telling you, you don’t need to be afraid
of the vaccines.
You should instead be afraid of what happens without them.
iflscience.com
Edited to add:
This video is an outstanding summary
of many of these issues.
I encourage you to watch it.
This video is an outstanding summary
of many of these issues.
I encourage you to watch it.
“Humans try to make sense of the world by seeing patterns When they see a disease or condition that tends to appear around the time a child is a year or so old, as autism does, and that is also the age that kids get particular shots, they want to put those things together. Parents watch kids more carefully after they get shots. Sometimes they pick up on symptoms then. Just because two things happen at the same time doesn’t mean that one caused the other. This is why we need careful scientific studies.”
For people coming via a direct link, please also
feel free to participate in a follow-up discussionhere.
feel free to participate in a follow-up discussionhere.
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