Poll: Opinion of Vaccination?

[BreakfastMan]

So, I was doing my homework for my infectious disease class, in which we are currently learning about vaccines. Apparently whether or not people should get their children vaccinated is a pretty controversial topic in this day and age. So I was wondering, what do the people of the Escapist think of vaccination, or, more specifically, getting children vaccinated?

 

[BonsaiK]

Getting vaccinated is excellent. Some people are just uneducated or believe propaganda spreaded by dimwits and conspiracy theorist nutbags, that's the only reason for any so-called "controversy". People who hate vaccines are the same people who think the US planned 9/11 and that AIDS is a hoax.

When vaccines first appeared, conspiracy theoritsts proclaiming that it was bad absolutely abounded. It's only when it started saving lives against the flu outbreaks of the time that people started to shut their holes. Sadly, many people these days don't learn from history.

 

[Valate_v1legacy]

Vaccination vs. OMG MY KID HAS POLIO!!?!!? *cry*

Very difficult question, methinks.

 

[Radeonx]

Of course I would.
Not giving my kid a flu vaccine just because some random person had a bad reaction out of the millions of people that got one is just plain silly.

 

[superstringz]

Ugh. The "soccer-moms" mentality disgusts me. Vaccines are one of the greatest things about the 20th century. And they do NOT cause autism. Sometimes, they have side effects, and like all drugs, they carry risks, but they risk is heavily outweighed by the immunity to some nasty, horrible forms of death.

 

[DefunctTheory]

Vaccinations save lives. That should be enough.

If it isn't, consider this: Vaccinations KILLED SMALLPOX [sub](for the most part)[/sub]. Thats right, vaccinations are a weapon of war.

How fucking cool is that?

 

[Canid117]

Its only controversial among idiots.

Like these people

 

[Bravo 21]

Yes, mostly because I was vaccinated against some stuff when I was younger, and NOW IM INVINCIBLE!, jk, but well, everyone I know whos been vacinate has been alright, and in Canada, Health Care, so I think that the government has it covered

 

[Ftaghn To You Too]

People who keep their kids from having vaccinations because of what Oprah says should be injected with the full strength diseases just to show them what they're making their child risk.

 

[spartan231490]

So, I was doing my homework for my infectious disease class, in which we are currently learning about vaccines. Apparently whether or not people should get their children vaccinated is a pretty controversial topic in this day and age. So I was wondering, what do the people of the Escapist think of vaccination, or, more specifically, getting children vaccinated?

Depends on the vaccine. For example, chicken pox vaccines are virtually worthless because many people are born with natural immunities, and most who don't catch it as children, thus gaining immunity.
Flu vaccines are also pretty controversial. My mother is an RN, and she vehemently opposes flu vaccines because of how virtually useless they are. They only protect against a few strands out of thousands/millions, and it's not even all that much protection. A good number who get the vaccine still get that strand of flu. She also saw someone have a bad reaction to a flu vaccine and die. Even though the chance is extremely slim, she still thinks that it's a stupid risk because there is more or less no gain.

 

[RatRace123]

No, I would never vaccinate my kids, I want them to get polio and lockjaw and the flu and all those things.

I've had vaccines up the ying yang since I was an infant, and I'm perfectly fine, so I'm not inclined to believe the conspiracy theories surrounding them.

 

[HotPocket]

So, I was doing my homework for my infectious disease class, in which we are currently learning about vaccines. Apparently whether or not people should get their children vaccinated is a pretty controversial topic in this day and age. So I was wondering, what do the people of the Escapist think of vaccination, or, more specifically, getting children vaccinated?

Study was retracted, the research was faulty. Anyone who doesn't get a vaccine is a danger to the public as it could bring back an old disease. Vaccines should be mandatory.

 

[vxicepickxv]

So, if vaccines cause autism why is it that the anti-vaccine folks still have kids with autism?

 

[starkiller212]

Of course vaccines are good. See #1 in this article for a humorous but straightforward explanation of why the "anti-vaccine" movement is awful: http://www.cracked.com/article_18628_the-6-most-misguided-causes-ever-made-famous-by-celebrities_p2.html

 

[NeuroticDogDad]

Unfortunately this is a symptom of an insipid society where people's opinions are cherished as important without considering how informed that opinion is.

Random members of the public will be interviewed on radio and the news and offer opinions on subjects such as this when they have no valid reason to be heard. If somebody pointed a microphone at me and asked me to give an opinion on value of an argument about art or rocket science I wouldn't give one because I don't understand those things ergo my opinion in such matters is worthless.

This isn't a matter of opinion and it isn't subjective. Children being vaccinated against fatal diseases is a topic currently debated by two groups of people: those who understand vaccination and those who don't.
People who don't understand vaccination shouldn't be heard and if there is a genuine conflict between two groups of people who understand vaccination then we should start hearing their opinions.

 

[zHellas]

Its only controversial among idiots.

Like these people

Who are you referring to exactly?

 

[MaxwellEdison]

Controversial?
There's no scientific evidence that vaccinations are harmful. All they do is protect society from diseases that are preventable.

The only reason there's a controversy is because the media picked up a story about someone with no scientific knowledge connecting autism with vaccines for no reason other than her child who was autistic also had vaccines, over reported it, and messed everything up by actually convincing people that vaccines are bad.

 

[BrassButtons]

Vaccines are absolutely a good thing, no question.

The "controversy" surrounding vaccines is a combination of ignorance and fear. Take a well-intentioned parent, and tell them you want to inject a concoction whose properties they don't understand into their child, to protect against diseases the parent has never seen first-hand. Then mention that some people think this process could give the child a disorder which the parent is both familiar with, and concerned about. To the uninformed, you're asking that they weigh the benefits of preventing a threat that might as well not exist (nobody dies of smallpox anymore, so why consider it a danger?) against the risk of causing a threat that seems much more real, and thus far more dangerous.

 

[Nimcha]

I wasn't even aware there was controversy over this. The only thing I heard about vaccines in the news was that the country had bought a few hundred million swine flu vaccines which are now useless. Oh well.

Yes of course I'd vaccinate my kids.