Tuesday, February 16, 2010

On Vaccines and Science

This is a rant, you are warned, lol.

I have been reading lots of blogs (as always) and I keep coming across articles that really get under my skin.


*deep breath* I have been posting articles about vaccines for years, reading, studying, learning, researching. I ask questions and I have been a non-vaxer for most of my mom-hood. That said: I AM A VACCINATING MOM.

And you know what? I'm STILL going to keep posting the articles, the questions and the criticisms. I'm really getting tired of the snotty, nose in the air "It's science" posts. People, listen: I'm not stupid, inarticulate, paranoid, hysterical or religiously driven and neither are most of the non-vax or delayed-vax parents I know!

You fully support vaccines and are a die-hard believer in their safety and efficacy? Great, bully for you. They will NEVER get better, be more effective and less dangerous if everyone thought like that, though. So I will continue to be critical, mistrustful and questioning. I will NOT settle for what we have now. Continue bitching all you want about the people that "don't respect/understand/trust science". The FACTS are that the science is NEW. Scientifically, we must acknowledge that there are huge, gaping holes in our knowledge! The fact that vaccines may, in fact, be one of the biggest breakthroughs in scientific history does NOT negate that fact that it's currently still in a very experimental state. Those of us that question, demand answers and seek to protect our children as best as we can are NOT idiots! It's unfortunate that so many of the actual hystericals are so loud and of course, made even louder by the media. That said, snootily poo-pooing a huge list of concerns (NOT AUTISM) because one element has chosen a ridiculous flag to rally around is just plain irresponsible. The concerns are real, there for a reason and need to be addressed.

I vaccinate. I'm not 100% comfortable with it and I NEVER WILL BE until the long list of issues is fully taken care of. IMO, NONE of us SHOULD be. Progress is never made by people settling for what's "good enough". Peh.


Oh and one more thing. Please, PLEASE quit insisting that non-vaxers and delayed-vaxers put the population at risk. Until vaccines are 100% effective, this is a RETARDED argument. It makes NO sense to single out the small population of non-vaxers and blame THEM when the realities are that vaccines are anywhere from 50% up effective. We don't KNOW who is still not immune, even after vaccinations. Many upon many more people and children are vaccinated than not which means that the "risk" people in the vaxed camp far outweigh the "risk" people in the NOT vaxed camp. Simple, yes, but still true. If people are going to post snotty articles about idiots that don't respect "science" the they really ought to think about all the angels of their argument.


Incidentally this post isn't directed at anyone specific, I don't even know or regularly read the people that posted most of the things I'm blabbering about. I'm just sick to death of the general mentality being that people like me are paranoid morons. I'm not saying the paranoid morons don't exist! I'm just saying MOST of us are NOT them. There are just as many paranoid idiots running around on the "other side of the fence" UGH!!!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I was drawn to your blog based on a comment you made on a Friday SITS featured blog!

So many people rely on these precious little shots and completely ignore the TRUE facts of diseases and the human body. I understand people want to vaccinate to protect their children, I do, but to vaccinate then feed your kids crap and expose them to all sorts of other chemicals then have the audacity to say that all the NON-vaxer's are the problem is just ludicrous! This business about "herd mentality" only works when you NEED a herd to rely on instead of taking care of the human body as it was designed.

Anecdotal stories of a friend's cousin's mom not vaxing then her children infecting everyone else is just as ridiculous. If vaccinations were the end-all, tell-all, to the diseases they're trying to fight against, then the vaxer's would have NOTHING to worry about. They wouldn't have to rely on that "herd mentality" and whatnot.

The truth of the matter is that most adults aren't even fully vaccinated so adults are more likely to be the carrier of the disease/virus than any child. Children simply don't have as STRONG an immune system so often show symptoms more than an adult with the same affliction. Those are the REAL facts, not this "my child is protected and yours is not" argument. Their child may come down with the disease as much as any other child (serious or not), and my child with a boosted immune system from healthy food and naturally developed anti-bodies may not even get the disease or suffer symptoms.
There is just no guarantee and until it can be PROVEN that vaccines are safe, I am airing on the side of what we KNOW works.

~Brianna (my blog)

Rebekah C said...

Thanks for your comment! It's a subject I feel very passionate about and have done a lot of research on. Someday I'd love to get a subscription to a few research and medical journals so I can keep more abreast of what's going on.

Anyway, if you'd like, I blog over at ThoughtfulMomma.com , now.

I will be stopping by your blog, too! :)