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Vaccinate!
Feb. 19th, 2019 07:29 pmVaccines are in the news again, because there's a bunch of measles outbreaks, including here in Alberta. People think of measles as one of those harmless diseases, but it really can kill or permanently disable people. If you're reading my blog, you're likely already aware of that and on my side. So I'd rather talk about the mindset of anti-vaxxers than get into the reasons why they should vaccinate themselves and their kids.
One of the things that's come out of the latest outbreak is stories of kids getting themselves vaccinated against their parents wishes. Sometimes this is as soon as they're legally adults. Sometimes - if they live in a jurisdiction that allows it - well before. In Alberta, it's when a doctor agrees you're old enough to understand and give informed consent.
This leads me to a story. I had a coworker many years ago who had four kids. The first two turned out to be autistic and the younger two were below the age when you could really determine that. He decided not to vaccinate them. We discussed this.
Lets be clear: I think you should get all your (children's) vaccinations when your paediatrician says you should. But if you must avoid it for your imaginary reasons, at least do it later. And if you're an adult, just get it done. And that's why I think autism is a smoke screen. It has nothing to do with that, and everything to do with their self-image as radical free thinkers who aren't going to let The Man push them around. It's why evidence only makes them double down.
So don't bother with evidence, just make it hurt. This is starting to happen now, where a lot of news stories aren't bothering with their justifications anymore. The stories either don't go into why they're anti-vaxxers at all, or flatly point out that their reasons are bogus. Given the news media's usual show-both-sides stance on contentious topics, that's a big change.
But we need to do more. I suggest making vaccinations, except in cases where avoiding them is medically necessary, a pre-condition for attending school. Don't want to vaccinate your kids? Fine, you can home school them. If I could think of a way to keep them out of public swimming pools and similar venues, I'd do that too.
Another suggestion: Make them pay for the privilege. Don't want to vaccinate? That'll be $1000 per year per kid. I bet this change would make the vast majority of anti-vaxxers comply.
Finally, there's always ostracization. If enough people refuse to have anything to do with you if you're unvaccinated, I bet they'd come around. Sucks for the kids though. But then, their parents are anti-vaxxers, so their life already sucks.
These three measures might get enough of them to get their shots, and hopefully kick herd immunity higher. They'd still bitch and moan about it, but I don't give a fuck about that. Let them bitch, so long as kids aren't dying of measles.
One of the things that's come out of the latest outbreak is stories of kids getting themselves vaccinated against their parents wishes. Sometimes this is as soon as they're legally adults. Sometimes - if they live in a jurisdiction that allows it - well before. In Alberta, it's when a doctor agrees you're old enough to understand and give informed consent.
This leads me to a story. I had a coworker many years ago who had four kids. The first two turned out to be autistic and the younger two were below the age when you could really determine that. He decided not to vaccinate them. We discussed this.
"You have a science background, so you're perfectly capable of seeing that studies show vaccines have nothing to do with autism. You know how important vaccines are. So why are you risking it?"I can always vaccinate them when they're older. Now I didn't agree with him then or now, but I could at least understand where he was coming from emotionally. However, the fact that he still planned on vaccinating them eventually struck me as, if not good, at least less bad. He ended up leaving the company when caring for his children became too much for his wife to handle, so I don't know if he ever ended up getting the kids vaccinated. I like to hope that he did. Here's the thing though - all those 12-16 year olds trying to sneak a vaccine without their parents knowing it? They're all well past the point where autism is a factor - by this point in their lives, it would have been diagnosed. If vaccines caused autism (and they don't), your reason for not vaccinating your kids has gone away.
"Because my family is clearly at risk for autism, and if there is any chance at all, I want to avoid it. I can always vaccinate them when they're older."
Lets be clear: I think you should get all your (children's) vaccinations when your paediatrician says you should. But if you must avoid it for your imaginary reasons, at least do it later. And if you're an adult, just get it done. And that's why I think autism is a smoke screen. It has nothing to do with that, and everything to do with their self-image as radical free thinkers who aren't going to let The Man push them around. It's why evidence only makes them double down.
So don't bother with evidence, just make it hurt. This is starting to happen now, where a lot of news stories aren't bothering with their justifications anymore. The stories either don't go into why they're anti-vaxxers at all, or flatly point out that their reasons are bogus. Given the news media's usual show-both-sides stance on contentious topics, that's a big change.
But we need to do more. I suggest making vaccinations, except in cases where avoiding them is medically necessary, a pre-condition for attending school. Don't want to vaccinate your kids? Fine, you can home school them. If I could think of a way to keep them out of public swimming pools and similar venues, I'd do that too.
Another suggestion: Make them pay for the privilege. Don't want to vaccinate? That'll be $1000 per year per kid. I bet this change would make the vast majority of anti-vaxxers comply.
Finally, there's always ostracization. If enough people refuse to have anything to do with you if you're unvaccinated, I bet they'd come around. Sucks for the kids though. But then, their parents are anti-vaxxers, so their life already sucks.
These three measures might get enough of them to get their shots, and hopefully kick herd immunity higher. They'd still bitch and moan about it, but I don't give a fuck about that. Let them bitch, so long as kids aren't dying of measles.
