Really. For their sake, and for the sake of other kids around them. Including mine. #ddtb
Reshared post from +Philip Plait
A couple of vocal, wealthy antivaccination groups have been pushing their misinformation heavily the past few days. These groups are a public health hazard, spouting provably wrong ideas that are leading to an increase in preventable diseases… diseases which kill.
I'll make this very simple: Vaccinations save lives.
Incidents of pertussis, measles, and other diseases are increasing, and babies are dying from them. We need to stop antivax groups from infecting people with nonsense. You'll find information and links in my article about this below.
Please spread the word, and spread the herd immunity. Inoculate yourself against ignorance.
Embedded Link
Stop antivaxxers. Now. | Bad Astronomy | Discover Magazine
Alt-Med | antivax | There are times when reality is so obvious, so clear, so rock-solid 100% amazingly in-your-face incontrovertible, that it is beyond belief that anyone could den
That baby could have been me 6+ decades ago. Fortunately, I survived, but nobody was quite sure how. And, some of the soi disant doctors who rail against vaccines will even be honest about the horrors that babies who have whooping cough must go through. But, that’s supposed to be better than the Evil Vaccine. Disgusting. I also survived measles, but not without complications, including eye problems that have plagued me my entire life. You can bet that had vaccines been available at the time, my mother would have made sure I had them, just as she made sure I had my polio vaccines and (this is the Dark Ages, remember) my smallpox inoculation. I marched myself over to a local drugstore early this fall to get a shingles shot. My children will have to have that when they are older, because unfortunately, the chicken pox vaccine came out after they all had the disease. I think all antivaxxers should spend 24 hours in an iron lung. Sorry to be so lengthy. It’s something that pushes every button I have.
No need to apologize. It’s a particular bit of idiocy that pushes my hot buttons, too. It’s not only blitheringly anti-science and irrational, but it’s harmful not just to the idjits involved and their kids, but to everyone else around them.