This will be my third blog for the day, but I just read something that is very disturbing to me. I don’t understand, and never have, the refusal of parents to have their children vaccinated against diseases that are easily prevented. Here we are though, in the 21st century, where a lot of people receive their information about medicine, and other science, via Google University or whatever outlet suits their bias on whatever topic is presented.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the United States just published data showing that occurrences of measles are the highest recorded in twenty-five years. This disease was virtually eradicated, not only in the U.S., but in other countries as well. Then there arose the fear of children becoming autistic due to vaccines. Remember just a few years ago, there were many saying that their children were okay until they had been vaccinated. Then – all of a sudden- their child became autistic. It was an overnight sensation! Celebrities and some”scientists” claimed that the loose regulatory systems allowed pharmaceutical companies to produce vaccines that yes, would prevent a disease, but then hid the side effects of the same, mainly autism.
No matter how many studies have been run on the effects of vaccines to autism, showing no correlation, there are those parents that refuse to have their children vaccinated against any of the preventable childhood diseases, opening them up to not only the misery of the disease, but even death. Why any parent would want to take the chance of this is completely incomprehensible to me. These are the same parents, with autistic children, that will spend thousands on remedies from grifters instead of attempting to understand the science behind autism.
I have empathy for those parents, but parents, whether your child is on the autism spectrum or not, should have their children vaccinated. Why would anyone roll the dice hoping for a good outcome when it’s been proven, study after study, that vaccines save lives.
I’m not sure that people understand that these vaccines not only save the lives of their children, but of others as well. Not just children, but of elderly and those with compromised immune systems.
Where I live, it’s required by law that if your child attends a public school, they must be vaccinated, but other states don’t have the same requirement. I’ve read recently that other states here in the U.S. are considering the same requirement. I hope they make it law soon. That won’t mean anything for “home schoolers” unless the states require that as well to be certified.
We can make a reasonable decision, based on science, or we can go back to the day, before the 1970’s where thousands died from what are now easily preventable diseases.
Conservative Skeptic 
The Cult of No-Vaccines is peopled by all sorts of idiots, from super religious to super stars, but the common denominator is ignorance.
An interesting and educated guess by some is that those humans that are high systematizers tend to marry and breed with other high systematizers, which is why autistic children are often born to males who excel in engineering and mathematics and computer technology. This would follow with the genetics-as-cause over the environment-as-cause in regards to autism.
We also must recognize that the autistic spectrum is very broad and is continuing to broaden, such that nearly every person could be diagnosed within its spectrum. I think it is now at one in fifty-four children diagnosed. There are government benefits to having a child diagnosed as autistic, thus the incentive to have ones child so diagnosed. And if one can blame Big-Pharma and Evil Science then all the better.
This over diagnosing diminishes those who truly suffer from autism and I consider it to be detrimental.
Protecting those who are too weak to receive vaccinations is what all of us, who make sure our vaccinations are up to date, have been doing for decades. When too many people refuse to help, then these child-killing and town destroying diseases return and the fear of them spreading is usually enough to change minds.
Somehow the Cult believes that they know best and that we are the fools. Un-effing believable. But mostly, un-effing acceptable anymore. Yet why are we surprised? Hollywood and ignorant SnowFlakes and Communists longing for Utopia think they are “in charge.”
I can only hope that enough leaders will once again “see the light” of science shining in the darkness and make vaccinations again mandatory for all children on a timely schedule and for those adults whose mommies and daddies trusted Hollywood for their medical advice.
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Just sayin’ I excel; in engineering and mathematics, as well as computer science. My daughter has never had an indication of anyone being on the autism spectrum.
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Of course, and not all moms over 35 give birth to babies with Down Syndrome, but there is a correlation.
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