A couple of links

[sarahmichigan]

SYLVIA BROWNE IS A BIG FAT FRAUD

Have you read recently in the news about that boy who was kidnapped and found alive many years later? Sylvia Browne, supposed psychic, not only told his parents he was kidnapped by a Hispanic with dreadlocks (which also makes her a racist bitch) but that Shawn was dead. He turned out to be alive and was kidnapped by a white dude, no dreadlocks...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw_7sMKR8jo

TEXAS MANDATES HPV VACCINE-- HOORAY!

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-vaccine3feb03,1,2886229.story?coll=la-news-a_section

This is a great first step to reducing the occurrences of cervical cancer. I'm surprised that Texas, not known to be a bastion of liberal thinking, is doing this, but I'm glad they're standing up to fundies who think it'll encourage unsafe sex and the crazies who think that vaccines cause autism.

I'm not a fan of Big Pharma, but just because they'll profit doesn't make this a bad decision. Vaccines-- in general, not this one specifically-- are a blessing. If your kid has an allergy to an ingredient in a vaccine, it's one thing to ask for an exemption in one particular case. But wide-spread fear-mongering about the supposed dangers to the average child from vaccination is EVIL. People who refuse to vaccinate their kids for no legitimate medical reason should be investigated for child abuse and neglect. I am completely serious.

Comments

[sarahmichigan.livejournal.com]

If my tone is angry, it's not directed at you, specifically. I've had debates with others on-line about the safety of vaccines and the whole autism-vaccine NON-link, and the ignorance and inability to think through statistics, risk assessments, and what constitutes good science vs. conpsiracy theory is really disheartening.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_earthshine_/]

I didn't take anything personally. No worries.

I guess we land somewhere on the spectrum, like everyone. In our case, we might be near the middle.

We're both pretty scientifically-backgrounded folks, so we definitely don't take chances with the biggies. At the same time, we also probably err most "neutral" cases on the side of not messing with the system. Some might consider some of our outlooks "hippie"-ish, but i think we just like to keep a stricter eye on how much we don't know. A few studies and a few years' use doesn't necessarily constitute a solid case for use of a vaccine in our eyes, for example. If there's a real threat, we'll take it, of course, but if it's something low-risk where we can just watch for symptoms and treat accordingly, we'd just as soon pass.

It helps that we have a pediatrician whose very respectful and empowering about this stuff. He'll answer the questions and not pressure us either way, which saves us having to be rocket-science experts in everything just to make a case for ourselves either way.

We're definitely not the type to blanketly denounce all vaccines as evil or anything, though, which sounds more like that you're talking about. Yes, the world was an ugly place without 'em, and we're down with that.