I know this has been mentioned before in the blog, but I ran into the following article in an old copy of Wired Magazine (also a bit outdated) I picked up this weekend while traveling, and found it particularly interesting and pertinent to our class discussions:
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2009/10/ff_waronscience/
Albeit not peer-reviewed literature, the article discusses Dr. Paul Offit's "anti-anti-vaccination" crusade in the name of the science and efficacy of common childhood vaccinations. Due to his strong and vocal stances on the importance of continuing childhood vaccinations and his denial of their implication in autism, Offit has been labeled a "biostitute" trying to exploit children in order to profit from the RotaTeq vaccination he co-invented and has received mild death threats from members of groups promoting the causation of autism by vaccination.
The article discusses the recent popular anti-vaccination movements, led by celebrities like Jenny McCarthy, as someone mentioned earlier in the blog, and presents much data and history in favor of Offit and his pro-vaccination message. I don't think anyone in our class needs to hear the importance and efficacy of many of the vaccinations offered to children these days, but in case anyone needs some quick and easy arguing facts, the article offers these suggestions:
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2009/10/ff_waronscience_argument/
Enjoy!
On a personal note - I'm glad that people are finally being educated in the lay media about the benefits of childhood vaccinations and the non-evidence used to support the notion that vaccines lead to autism. It is extremely irritating to hear celebrities, with no scientific credibility, misinterpret and invent statistics that people act on solely because the celebrity is a celebrity. When did these people become our scientific and social leaders? Which peer-review ok'd that?
ReplyDeleteI think it is like Pro and Con. There is a reason for immunization. We are getting immunized so that we are protected from pathogens. However, at the same time you are risking our health....
ReplyDeleteExactly how are we risking our health by preventing deadly diseases?!
ReplyDeleteLife is not a risk-free endeavor. Success is a matter of balancing benefit and risk. Vaccines carry risks, but they are outweighed by the risks of disease that we face if we don't vaccinate. We should acknowledge this, and continue to make reasoned vaccination decisions. In a vaccinated population there will be individuals who are harmed, e.g febrile seizures, Guillain-Barre, but overall, the population will be healthier if they are vaccinated, and an individual who chooses to be vaccinated lowers his risk of a poor outcome. Autism is not among the risks of vaccination-this question has been carefully studied, repeatedly.
ReplyDelete