> > That's just ridiculous. Smallpox has disappeared. Polio, diphtheria,
> > and many other diseases have largely disappeared because of
> > vaccination.
>
>What makes this particular example so hateful (hateful on the part of
>the alternative therapy advocates that deride immunization) is that
>they take the real yet miniscule risk to every individual from certain
>forms of immunization and turn that into an argument against the vast
>social benefits that come from immunization. That's as anti-left a
>position as you can find.
I agree, but independent of politics I'd argue it's just plain inhuman. If you don't immunize your kids/self against say, polio, you probably won't get polio because of public sanitation and herd immunity. Yes there are risks in immunization, unfortunately life is not a risk free experience but one in risk reduction and management, but the fact is mass immunization reduces those risks from disease and may create risks of some things like autism. The latest attempt to prove that imploded when the majority of scientists who authored an article that supposedly proved something abut immunization asked to have the article withdrawn from publication.
The other fact is that if none of the population gets immunized and/or you roll back public sanitation and health measure (like fluoridation) you, your children and large segment of the population will get diseases like polio, MMR, diphtheria etc. and will die, be disabled or suffer morbidity symptoms the rest of their life.
I find it hard to see the humanity in advocating health 'choices' with those consequences.
PC
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