Poll: What does the Escapist community think of vaccinations?

[Jacco]

We cover a lot of topics on these forums, and it doesn't take long to see what a majority of the people that post here care about (feminism, sexism, and rape, apparently) but I haven't seen a real honest discussion of vaccines or the "controversy" surrounding them in the time I've been here (many years now).

So, vaccines. Good? Bad?

My opinion is that they are good and that people who don't vaccinate their children are irresponsible parents (excluding legit medical reasons, of course).


Edit:

I should qualify this and say that it is not a troll post, my reasons for having the opinions I do are based in science and research.

 

[Eamar]

There is no controversy if you have even the most basic understanding of the science involved and the studies done to investigate supposed side effects like autism.

I'm pro-vaccine, obviously, and I have no time for parents who endanger both their own kids and everyone else's by not getting their children immunised. Thankfully, here in the UK that's not really a thing.

Honestly, based on what I know about the Escapist community I don't imagine there'll be many (if any) people here who disagree.

 

[JoJo]

Absolutely positive, vaccines have had an incredibly good influence on the world. Take for example smallpox, which is estimated to have been responsible for 1 in every 12 deaths at it's height, now extinct in the wild thanks to a widespread vaccination program. Frankly, anyone who refuses to be immunised or to have their children vaccinated is not only irresponsible for their own health but also very selfish as there is a small proportion of the population who cannot be immunised, mainly those with weakened immune systems, and these people rely on herd immunity to avoid those diseases. By refusing vaccines you are literally putting vulnerable people's lives at risk.

 

[Jacco]

There is no controversy if you have even the most basic understanding of the science involved and the studies done to investigate supposed side effects like autism.

I'm pro-vaccine, obviously, and I have no time for parents who endanger both their own kids and everyone else's by not getting their children immunised. Thankfully, here in the UK that's not really a thing.

Honestly, based on what I know about the Escapist community I don't imagine there'll be many (if any) people here who disagree.

Agreed. But it is becoming a big problem here in the US and my hope is that if someone Googles it, they will run across a thread like this and (hopefully) see that there is no danger.

The Escapist is a relatively enlightened community, but you never know what you're gonna find when you start lifting rocks.

 

[shootthebandit]

Im gonna be working abroad. My occupational health at work has stuck more needles in me than your average heroin addict

Theres nothing wrong with it. Its not too pleasant but if you get them regularly its second nature and you dont really bother.

Id much rather have the vaccine than the illness it prevents

 

[Eamar]

I'm pro-vaccine, obviously, and I have no time for parents who endanger both their own kids and everyone else's by not getting their children immunised. Thankfully, here in the UK that's not really a thing.

Hm, the aftermath of Dr Wakefield's "research" is still having an impact still this very day. Thankfully I don't think it as bad as it was a few years ago.

True, but it does seem to be dying down. And, while obviously still bad, at least the panic was/is generally restricted to the MMR vaccine rather than vaccines in general (I think..?)

 

[Daystar Clarion]

It's not even being about 'Pro-vaccine', more like 'Anti-ignorance'.

The fact the safety of vaccines is even up for debate fucking blows my mind.

 

[Jacco]

I'm pro-vaccine, obviously, and I have no time for parents who endanger both their own kids and everyone else's by not getting their children immunised. Thankfully, here in the UK that's not really a thing.

Hm, the aftermath of Dr Wakefield's "research" is still having an impact still this very day. Thankfully I don't think it as bad as it was a few years ago.

True, but it does seem to be dying down. And, while obviously still bad, at least the panic was/is generally restricted to the MMR vaccine rather than vaccines in general (I think..?)

Not in the US. MMR is a big one, but I personally know many "moms" (and I use that term lightly) that refuse to get their kids any vaccines "because it is simply not worth the risk." Pertussis and Measles have been making a big comeback in the last two or three years. There is literally no reason any child anywhere should have Measles in 2014.

 

[Eamar]

Not in the US. MMR is a big one, but I personally know many "moms" (and I use that term lightly) that refuse to get their kids any vaccines "because it is simply not worth the risk." Pertussis and Measles have been making a big comeback in the last two or three years. There is literally no reason any child anywhere should have Measles in 2014.

Oh I know that. My point was that even at its worst, panic/fear of vaccines has never been anything like as bad here in the UK as it is in the US.

 

[Jacco]

It's not even being about 'pro-vaccine', more like 'Anti-ignorance'.

The fact the safety of vaccines is even up for debate fucking blows my blind.

Agreed. You'd think that if there were some inherent issue, it would show up in some percentage of the millions upon billions of people who have gotten them over the last century. But of course, the "big pharma" companies have enough money to cover it up on a global scale so they can continue making money. *rolls eyes*

 

[Colour Scientist]

Pro-vaccine should be the default setting.

To be honest, I've only ever seen the debate come up in relation to the States. At least, I've never seen it come up in Ireland anyway.

I don't understand parents who refuse to safeguard their child against a host of diseases over a perceived tenuous link with autism. It all comes down to ignorance and hearsay, I suppose.

I remember reading about a mother who refused to allow her child to receive chemotherapy because it wasn't natural. The father ended up taking her to court and getting custody of the little boy so he could get treatment but I can't understand why the mother would put her son at risk like that over something that, to me, seems so trivial when compared to the life of your child.

 

[lucky_sharm]

How is there even a debate? I swear if there's even a single person that votes the second option...

 

[Cerebrawl]

The only vaccine I'm aware of that's been implicated in much real harm was the pandemrix swine-flu vaccine, which was hastily drummed up and insufficiently tested. About 1 in 52,000-57,500 people vaccinated with it(over 150 all told) were permanently/chronically afflicted with Narcolepsy, mostly children and young adults.

But I'm all for vaccination that has been properly tested, heck I've taken several additional ones as an adult, to avoid catching something when I travel(hepatitis A&B, typhoid, and a very temporary and incompletely protecting cholera/e-coli one).

 

[Neverhoodian]

Relevant:

Spoiler

NSFW audio​

It infuriates me that parents would willfully put their children at risk for all sorts of life-threatening illnesses because of bullshit evidence that they MIGHT get autism. My grandmother (God rest her soul) used to be a nurse in the 40's and 50's, and she saw firsthand the devastating impact of such diseases. I was told she cried out of sheer joy when the polio vaccine was developed.

This is an instance where "won't somebody PLEASE think of the children?!" is actually pertinent.

 

[Colour Scientist]

How is there even a debate? I swear if there's even a single person that votes the second option...

You've basically guaranteed that someone is going to come along and vote for the second option now.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Anybody with 30 seconds of free time and two working brain cells can personally verify there're no real downsides to vaccination.

 

[Barbas]

How is there even a debate? I swear if there's even a single person that votes the second option...

You've basically guaranteed that someone is going to come along and vote for the second option now.

"there's always one".

Monty Python used to have "one" in practically every crowd+speech scene...

OT: I was not aware it was anything more than widespread misunderstanding caused by the concerted efforts of various wilfully ignorant and/or intellectually dishonest public speakers and pseudo-scientists, much like the other "Great Debate" that the jury's still apparently still out on over there. Vaccinations have always done right by me and mine.