I was recently “tagged” into a FB debate about vaccines.
(not for the first nor the last time….)
The article in question was called 4 Ways to Restore Trust
in the US Vaccination Program and
and can be found here.
Apparently the problem anti vax people have with vaccines is
that they haven’t been given sufficient reason to trust the US Vaccination System.
So…. Stop taking the medicine because the doctor’s office
hasn’t been touchey feely enough to make you feel good about it?
Ok, that was overly snarky. I’ll try to tone it down.
Here was my response to said article, in case any of you are
interested.
(Since I respond to tha author’s pints directly –in my own
circular way- you might want to at least skimt he article before jumping into
my rant.-
First off I will agree with her that a lot of us “vaccine
pushers” do tend to lump those whorefuse to vaccine into the “anti vax” category.
Because, well, if the shoe fits. And yes, the majority of those who are against
vaccines (and are loudly vocal about it) tend to belong to the camps that cite
random websites, old (disproven) data, or also spout gems of child rearing
wisdom as “Vitamin D will save us all! Take tons of it!!!!” So yeah, it can be
hard to have a rational debate.
I am not an expert either, just a concerned citizen, aunt
and hopeful mother –to-someday-be. (Can we just agree right here to cease with
any of the “you don’t have kids, you don’t understand” nonsense? Please?
See, already my hackles are up, as I am sure her’s were when
she wrote this.
(Tangent time: we seem, as a society to get fixated on polarizing
viewpoints and debates that could be civil find their way into the personal
attack mode. No longer are those on the other side people on the other side,
they become enemies…. And our continued discourse reflects that. This happens
on both sides, sadly, and I really hope it doesn’t happen here. Ok, back to it…)
Her first point: Yes and no. It would be ideal if such
studies were a viable option. They aren’t. Partly for the reasons she lists,
partly because you are looking for causation without any sort of parameter. It
is, from my understanding, virtually impossible to see all the possible long
term effects of anything in a way that she asks for. And we do have decades
worth of vaccine information showing us that mortality rates lower with vaccine
use. They have already been scientifically proven to work. Proven! Yes, there
are risks. There are risks inherent to everything in life from having a glass
of water, to getting a tetanus shot to crossing the street. But the teeny tiny
highly unlikely risk to my kid in order to big picture increase the health of
the majority of people,… well for many of us that is acceptable risk.
-This gets into an argument that she didn’t make about the
self vs the society. If you are interestedin talking more about that one, let
me know. I’ll try to stick to what she said though in this already very very
long response.-
Next: Support Informed Consent: Sure! She says that she wasn’t
given the VIS sheets… well that is a problem with her medical office, not a
problem with vaccines. Let’s differentiate between the two, okay? Some doctors
are assholes. Some doctor’s offices are lazy. That I no way means that the
medicine they have is tainted or evil. She
also says the VIS sheets are misleading. How so? I read her example… it lists
horrific stats about HepB that can be avoided with a vaccine? And yes, your
child might not be super susceptible right this second to whatever, but they
will be exposed later on. Better to get the vaccination done now. Again, they
don’t hurt you. Again, they are medically proven to work. So, sure, get
informed consent, but no one should be able to cherry pick what that means.
Nest: Choice: Again, sure! Her examples (anecdotal I might
add and therefore not really statiscially viable) indicate the failings of
people… not vaccines. Okay, the staff wasn’t ware of the rights of the patient.
That is a staff awareness problem, not an issue of the vaccine. She wants to
work on increasing awareness, I’m all for it. Sure, you can refuse based on
XYZ. But then you have to live with the consequences… and if that means your
potentially germy kid can’t play with mine or that my doctor’s office can and
should refuse to treat you in order to protect the rest of us… well, that was
your choice. Then we get into separate vaccines.
Ok… a while ago the big upcry
was the number of shots…. Poor baby! Getting shot after shot! So, they combined
them for fewer shots and now the uproar is that there are combined shots. Come
on people. Also, in most cases the vaccines are available separately. But it is
more convenient for the patient, the doctor, and yes the evil Pharma, to do
them all at once. Yes, Pharma makes money off vaccines. So what? Big Pharma mongrels
could be drinking puppy urine and having S and M parties with albino Martians. Their
products are still safe and scientifically proven effective.
Which brings us to the next point: The vey short “we don’t
trust their motives” part of the piece. This is ,again, an od argument. So
what? So what if they make money givins us life saving treatment? Woldn’t you
pay anything for the safety of your child? And today everything is connected to
everything. And… if you want to talk about government corruption, fine! Let’s
talk. Let’s get on the same side of th protest line and hold those jerks
accountable. That DOESN”T change that the vaccines work and should be
administered.
Her last arguement: a rehash of above. Pharma hasn’t been
shielded. And if you think they have, work toward fixing that… but leave the
products out of Because again, she is mixing the issues. Being anti government,
being anti government corruption or court rulings that corporations are peole
is totally a separate thing than being anti medicine… that is proven effective.
And lastly, she comes full circle. Don’t be misogynistic
towards anti vax people. (Yes, I am sticking with that term as I seem to have
been labeled a Vaccine Pusher). Don’t lump them all into one group, call ‘em
stupid and leave it be. I…. actually agree.
To a point.
Because once you are presented
with the mountain of evidence that vaccines work, that they help the general
public, that they aren’t any more or less dangerous than anything else, that they won’t make your
kid autistic…. And you still refuse to do them? You still willfully put your
kids and then my kids at risk? Then, it is hard to be polite. The discussion,
as I said before, gets muddy with emotion. On both sides.
Ok. I’m sure this is just the beginning….
