Phew. I'm mostly a lurker here at DKos. I posted a couple of diaries here during the election about my first forays into canvassing, but mostly I just read and learn.
Today I waded into the fray in the comments of the vaccines and autism diary currently on the rec list. And I have to say, I wasn't prepared.
I was compelled to comment after reading literally hundreds of people hurl some pretty serious epithets at people like me. (Anti-science, selfish, ignorant, even freakin' Republican!). Heck, my comment earned me a couple of direct epithets.
Yes, I am a parent who chooses not to vaccinate my children. I am also the parent of an autistic child, and well experienced and educated in medical research. I don't believe vaccines cause autism. But I don't believe they're proven safe, either. I believe there is potential personal risk for the potential societal benefit, and that parents considering that trade-off aren't all selfish idiots.
This risk benefit analysis happens around vaccines all the time. Typhoid and yellow fever vaccines are not routine in this country. Why not? They're pretty nasty diseases for some people, but very rare here. However, that same argument can be made for polio, or even measles these days. So why not routine? Why wasn't everyone given smallpox vaccine after 9-11? I think the answer is a complex mix of side effect risk, cost, vaccine efficacy, and relatively low exposure risk.
But as a parent, I can read that there were 356 confirmed cases of typhoid fever in the US in 2003, and 216 measles cases in 2001-2003. Why am I an idiot uninformed parent if I question why the measles vaccine is any more necessary than the typhoid vaccine? I'm not saying I'm right. Just saying that it seems like asking the question shouldn't get me thrown in with the flatworlders and McCain-Palin voters.
I believe that science is still working on understanding the risk of vaccines. That "safe" MMR vaccine - CDC as of last year had a working group that documented the substantially increased risk of febrile seizures in the first two weeks after the first dose of MMR vaccine. Probably not a huge deal, right? Febrile seizures are scary as all hell, but probably not long-lastingly dangerous. Or... there is a preliminary study by UCLA and Navy scientists suggesting there might be a relationship between acetaminophen use after the MMR vaccine and autistic disorder. Note, I am not suggesting this means the MMR vaccine causes autism. I am saying it is a very complex question, and that not all the evidence, particularly of more indirect relationships, is in yet. Good scientists keep asking questions, and as a parent, I appreciate when they keep asking questions about routine pediatric medical practices.
And let me finish by saying that the greatest irony for me today, after seeing a very personal viewpoint of mine clawed at by many here, is reading another diary on the rec list laughing hysterically that big ag dares to use science to try to justify beating up on those upstanding citizens who choose to eat organic. The language is so darn similar to the vaccine argument - and honestly, the state of the proven science on organic food benefits is about as strong as that on vaccine risks - pretty poor. I eat organic too - but at least that's consistently magical, unscientific thinking on my part :).
UPDATE: All I want to know from the harsh commenters in this thread is how you put your children at risk today for the greater good. For me to vaccinate my one child in particular (for anything that might cause fever, a common side effect) is a larger risk than most parents face. The risks are not hypothetical, they are CDC acknowledged. And riskier for my child than most. I believe in our obligations to society - but as a parent, choosing to put your child at risk is as basic as it gets. Call me what you will.