In Which I Say, "Get Fucking Vaccinated!"

[tanick]

So, I usually stay out of this bullshit, but when Oprah gets involved, a message suddenly gets a much wider audience, and it just bothers me to no end. Coupled with the fact that Caitlin told me the other day that one of her coworkers who left a while back to have a baby has still not vaccinated her child, and, I just feel a need to rant

Comments

[w0lf]

Its interesting. I tend to disapprove of a lot of western medicine because the integrity of the science and efficacy of service are so damn poor.

That said, when it comes to vaccination, I am very clear in my pro position. If you get my infant (if/when i have one) sick or dead because you didn't vaccinate your toddler, your ass belongs in jail with the other murderers.

[tanick]

Yeah, it's a little more complicated than that...the real problem with western medicine is the influence of the pharmaceutical companies over the research. There's a lot of research done, but not all of it is done in a truly scientific way, or results are misreported or misrepresented, etc, etc.

Couple that with how medical service actually works, doling out treatment to those who can afford it...

That said, I still fall firmly on the side of some flawed evidence with some solid evidence is better than no evidence at all. Too many people are harmed, either directly, or as a by product of not seeking serious medical attention, by seeking alternative therapies for me to feel otherwise.

[w0lf]

Yeah, I guess don't really see it as a binary choice. I'll accept what I feel benefits my quality of life from western medicine, as well as that which benefits my quality of life from anywhere else. I am good enough at parsing information and detecting bullshit to trust myself in making those choices.

[pellechs]

Oprah also started a chicken riot (http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2009/05/lessons_learned_from_the_oprah.html?sc=fb&cc=fp), so, y'know...