An Epidemic of Fear: How Panicked Parents Skipping Shots Endangers Us All
I started reading this very long article and thought it was interesting. Interesting in that I never even considered not vaccinating my child against preventable diseases. The thought that went through my mind when we got his vaccinations went something like this: “Maybe this has caused autism in some kids, maybe it hasn’t, I don’t know. But I know no one has died of the mumps since getting vaccinated. And I’m not a doctor.” Call me a damn fool.
What’s crazy, if not downright scary, are the comments on the article. People laying claim to being educated to the fact that we are being lied to. I want to stop at the word ‘educate’ for a second though. How educated do you feel you really are? Have you studied science and medicine for the better part of a decade in your education? Was your educational resource as prestigious as the universities and institutions where many of these studies are performed? How many internet articles and Jenny McCarthy Oprah visits does it take to bring your education up to the level where this can be a discussion?
I don’t want my son to die. And how heart broken would I be if my son died from a preventable disease because Jim Carrey made me believe that vaccinations would cause autism in my son? I would be suicidal if that happened. In life, there are times when you are forced to trust others and their education. I am not a doctor, nor am I educated in science or medicine. I can ask for second opinions and attempt to make educated decisions based on what I hear. But in the end I have to trust that the doctors that gave me opinion A or B or C are there to help me.
(via Clever Simon)
