Childhood Vaccines: Anti-vax V Science?

[The JD]

Originally Posted by Amulette

Hey Tex, Do you really know anyone who died from measles? I have not in my life met someone who lost a child from measles. I had them at least 3 times and was fully vaccinated, and live to tell the story.... Now Hep B, that is a different story. I vaccinated for that as as adult.... I do believe keeping your immune system healthy is the best preventative medicine, with help in extreme circumstances. MHO

It's extremely rare to get measles more than once, so if you've "had them at least 3 times", it says far more about your immune system than the vaccine. Surviving the disease will provide far more immunity than a vaccine will.

And yes, sometimes vaccines do fail. But I don't get that as a reason for not getting them at all. Not knowing anyone who has the disease seems to me a greater reason for getting the vaccine, and that herd immunity is working. I'm pretty sure that's why I don't personally know anyone who has died of measles.

That said, sometimes the FDA gets it wrong, and pharmaceutical companies have shown a shocking lack of ethics. They can certainly stand to have their feet held to the fire. And in the medical fix-it era of Lipitor and Lotensin, it's good that we're starting to put more emphasis on healthy lifestyle choices and are thinking more critically about what goes into our bodies. I just wish the skepticism was a bit more fact-based.

But I admit I’ve lost objectivity since learning that some anti-vaxxers have blamed the Disneyland measles outbreak on immigrants. And the Amish. Choice is indeed a great thing, and how wonderful that the anti-vax crowd is allowed to make it! But to blame another (less privileged) group for making the same choice (or not even having the choice)… well, that's about as flawed as the autism study.