The vaccine debate grows stronger in Colorado. By debate, I’m referring to the parent’s choice to vaccinate vs. the state’s mandate to limit and potentially take away a parent’s choice. Currently, Colorado has medical, religious, and philosophical exemptions for parents and their children. The philosophical exemption is under attack. “You can choose not to vaccinate but you have to have that signed off by your doctor and/or watch a video created and produced by the vaccine makers.”
As news media outlets publish stories on their sites concerning the issue to allow readers to comment, it’s the same old song and dance of dogmatic answers from the die hard, pro-vaccine crowd.
This debate would never be to this level if there wasn’t the words ‘mandatory’ associated with the action. Smoking can be debatable topic but if the government mandated that you were not allowed to smoke anymore, it changes from a health issue to a personal liberty constitution issue and that’s going to raise the heat on any debate.
The red text are common themes you will see in the comment sections and probably arguments you have had if you have chosen to not vaccinate and share that information with anyone on social media. Just check out the response on my twitter after Rob Schneider referenced my vaccine article on his Twitter page.
“Celebrities like Jenny McCarthy and Rob Schneider are actors, their opinions don’t matter and are putting kids at harm.”
There are a couple issues going on with that statement. The first is that you disregard celebrity status as a right to express an opinion. Guess what? The pro-vaccine crowd also has celebrity spokespeople like Amanda Peet, J. Lo, and Sarah Michelle Vampire Slayer. The problem is that they are PAID…by the drug companies to have an opinion. Why are your celebrities more valid than the ones that are anti-vax? Is it just because you agree with their statements?
Second, the vaccine choice celebrities have children. Do you really think they are maliciously putting their own kids in harm’s way, much less the 4 million babies each and every year? I don’t know them personally but I think I can safely assume they love children and want them as healthy as possible.
“Your choice to not vaccinate isn’t just about your child. You will get my kid sick.”
Are you talking about your vaccinated child? My unvaccinated kid is going to get your vaccinated kid sick? Either the vaccine worked and your child is safe or you don’t believe the vaccine works and have fallen for the scare tactics and are making statements out of fear, not logic. You can’t have it both ways.
“If too many kids don’t get vaccinated, then herd immunity is ruined.”
The whole theory behind herd immunity is that by vaccinating 85%+ of the population, it protects the ones that aren’t vaccinated. Since the
The crazy thing is that many think the vaccine debate is a new entity due to internet and blogs. Really it’s not about whether to vaccinate or not, it’s about being FORCED to vaccinate. Anytime you force someone to do anything with poor logic, poor science, and making a parent feel as if they are stupid, opposition is going to grow.
“The people not vaccinating their kids are just ignorant and not intelligent, how can they be putting so many at risk with their careless behavior?”
The screen shot below of an article, Vaccine Refusal, Mandatory Immunizations, and the Risks of Vaccine Preventable Diseases from The New England Journal of Medicine, says it all.
The parents that refuse to vaccinate are upper middle class and college educated. Damn you higher education for teaching people to read, reason, and think for themselves. This is why the debate has moved from a science argument to a moral argument. Doctors and vaccine makers can’t pull the, ‘you’re just a home-maker, you wouldn’t understand’ bit. Instead they have to hit a mom emotionally (like my friend Jessica) by calling her a bad parent for not following the herd and potentially putting her kid(s) at risk. The science argument turned into a moral/ethical argument. That’s why the vaccine debate is as heated as politics and religion. They all come down to beliefs. Beliefs dictate behaviors.
I know this will fall on deaf ears for those that want mandatory vaccines, think vaccine choice is anti-science, or just a Twitter troll living to insult people, but hopefully it gave one of those college educated, stay-at-home moms some validation that they are NOT stupid, reckless, and endangering the public at large.
| Dr. Kurt writes from either his home or office in Colorado Springs where he enjoys life with his wife Lindsay, and sons Kalin and Lukas. They have 2 dogs, Boots and Jersey, that are Boston Terrier/English Bulldog mixes. He’s known to play a little guitar, play a little basketball, and when time allows it, soak in the 300 days of sunshine that Colorado Springs boasts. He hopes his blogs will fire you up and get you focused on asking the kind of questions that will produce real health for you and your family.
To read more of Dr. Kurt’s articles visit his My719Daddy Blogger page! |
