Unfortunately, there is a small (possibly growing), but influential group of people who are not vaccinating their children. Initially the fear was that the MMR (mumps, measles and rubella) vaccine, which used to contain the mercury-based preservative thimerosal, caused autism. The anti-vaccination movement has grown, and regardless of a mountain of exculpatory evidence as well as the removal of thimerosal from many vaccines, many among them still point to vaccines as nefarious instruments of death and destruction. (Ok, maybe they wouldn't use that phrase, but I found the drama of it funny.)
Steven Novella has written a great history of the anti-vaccination movement and recently Time Magazine did a great article on the topic that was not only scientificcally accurate, but also emphasized the potential public health threat the anti-vaccinationists are.
My main objection to parents making what they may consider a "personal choice" is that it is grossly selfish and unethical. 1) Although there is no evidence after mountains of data that vaccinations cause autism, vaccines do carry some risks 2) Vaccination can only really work its public health magic when there is herd immunity, that is, sufficient people are vaccinated to prevent the spread and exposure to large numbers of people in the first place. That is to say, one may benefit even more greatly from the vaccinations of others than from one's own vaccination by preventing you from even coming near the disease in the first place.
Therefore, I pose this question to people I've encountered on the web who did not vaccinate their children:
Why should 99% be put at alleged risks of vaccines so that the 1% can have the privledge of having the benefits with zero risk?
One typical response:
So that my daughter can live.
Translation- I believe vaccines are dangerous. I will rely on other people vaccinating their children so I don't have to. I am a selfish prick.
It seems contradictory to me that anti-vaccinationists even want to recruit. What is the tipping point at which they say to themselves, "Now that 80% of Susie's classmates have refused vaccinations, Susie might now have a real shot at being
seriously disabled for life. Or
deaf*, or giving birth to baby with
seriousl congenital problems or worse."
*I chose this example because I know someone who had this happen to her son.
If you look at public death records from before vaccines, many families have several children dying, often within *days* of each other from various outbreaks. I wonder what these past parents who experienced these devastating losses would say to parents now. Could any modern anti-vaccinationist look these greiving parents in the eye and tell them they were better off living in a society where no one vaccinated?
I do not have children I can vaccinate in order to help the cause. As an adult, some diseases against which I can be vaccinated are less of a threat to me, such as pertussis or the flu, but I can still do it. Why? To assist with herd immunity. Otherwise I could aid the spread of these diseases to more vulnerable population such as young children and the immunocompromised. For example, whooping cough probably would be that bad for me. But what if I were responsible for exposing a friend's baby to whooping cough before she was vaccinated possibly causing her to cough herself to death? (
video of children and babies with Pertussis, including an 8 month old unvaccinated baby. May be upsetting to watch.)
Because of the growing number of sadly mislead, but also, self-centered individuals who are willing to chip away at herd immunity, thus increasing risk for everyone, I am fighting back.
I went down to employee health to get my third and final hepatitis B vaccination. And hey, since they are free, I felt like a kid in a candy shop. "By the way, It's been two years since my tetanus/diptheria. Can I get a TDaP now?" "Pardon me, I remember a recent test saying I am unreactive to measles. Can I get vaccinated for that, too?" "Sure thing!" I also mentioned Garadisil, and she laughed, not only because any employer other than maybe the Pussy Cat Ranch or similar would not have an interest in this, but because, well, my age. She carefully treaded, "Plus," the nurse proceded, carefully looked at me, paused and continued, "Um, I don't know how old you are," (nice save) "but the cut-off is 27." Well I may just try to get some of that, too, off label. I'll have to pay out of pocket, but hey. (Or I could get into a clinical trial.)
So let the following pictures inspire you to talk to your doctor and see what you may need a booster for. You, too can bear the noble scars of herd immunity against the herd of insanity.
Final HepB. I can now eat at salad bars and swim in kiddie pools again.
Top- Tetanus, diptheria, and pertussis. Bottom- Measles, mumps and rubella.
BTW- Actually not all merc'd up. only the Tdap had maybe a teeny trace of mercury.
Memorial Day weekend at the zoo I lost my camera somewhere between the electric eels and the elusive black pawed dinger monkeys. Because someone probably found it, really it was stolen. But for all I know it's actually carefully hidden away in the secret cache of the beta male chimp in the primate house, so I shouldn't rush to judgment. I was crushed.
I like to take pictures of waterfowl asses for some reason.
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