http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/apr/06/what-happened-man-mmr-panic?INTCMP=SRCH

Gonefishin

And pneumococcus, meningitis C, Haemophillus etc etc etc etc

I seem to remember being injected against tetanus, typhoid and cholera.

Oh you will have had such vaccines, especially for tetanus. It also needs a booster every ten years or so should you have an open wound. The fact is though that whilst vaccination will help to prevent, or at least reduce the severity, of such conditions for tetanus in particular it exists and survives all over the environment that we live in and as such we will never eradicate it in the way we have to smallpox which no longer exists in the environment.

Thanks stoatsbrother. I was wrong in what I said earlier hence my correction. I’m sure there are plenty of others too.

After your beautifully nuanced postings on the long God thread, I’m disappointed.

Welcome to Singletrackworld.com

Harsh and offensive, I fear.

Harsh and offensive, I fear.

Pretty fair I would say.

If experts tell you one thing, repeatedly, and you with no specialist knowledge of your own go another way then surely you are guilty of not realising your own ignorance.

Medical issues seem particularly susceptible to this kind of problem.

You would never second guess an electrition about installing an earth wire in your house because you don’t believe in electrons. You probably wouldn’t question a gas engineer on boiler safety either. But doctors giving medical advice are fair game. After all its not like eight years of medical school and lots of subsequent experience trumps stuff you can just read on the internet is it.

So what we end up with in place of Herd Immunity is Herd Ignorance

But doctors giving medical advice are fair game.

While people have always been suspicious of science and scientists, I believe that this malaise has got a lot worse over the last 15 years.

It’s fear born out of ignorance basically and is responded to by the adoption of something that a brighter and more educated group of people have not yet claimed and will never claim thereby empowering the disenfranchised.

There is a trend for people to be proud not to understand any science and to be proud of taking decisions based on their own gut feelings. No doubt fuelled by the vast majority of journalists who themselves don’t understand science and feel that they’re superior to those nerds who studied scientific subjects.

richmtb – Member
Pretty fair I would say.

If experts tell you one thing, repeatedly, and you with no specialist knowledge of your own go another way then surely you are guilty of not realising your own ignorance.

Medical issues seem particularly susceptible to this kind of problem.

Why: because information is limited

You would never second guess an electrition about installing an earth wire in your house because you don’t believe in electrons. You probably wouldn’t question a gas engineer on boiler safety either.

Why: because information on these issues is readily available

But doctors giving medical advice are fair game. After all its not like eight years of medical school and lots of subsequent experience trumps stuff you can just read on the internet is it.

but some of us Cretins may not have medical degrees but have other qualifications/post grad qualifications/doctorates etc that may enable us to look at available evidence and make a reasoned decision

So what we end up with in place of Herd Immunity is Herd Ignorance intolerance

some may look at the available evidence and then decide what is best for their children rather than accept that society actually nurtures individuals

some may look at the available evidence and then decide incorrectly what they think is best for their children

So what we end up with in place of Herd Immunity is Herd Ignorance intolerance

Damn right. You want me to be tolerant of your measles ridden child when a) my son is too young to be protected and b) it’s perfectly avoidable?

Sorry pal you’re looking in the wrong place.

I have zero problem with people freely choosing the single jabs at their own expense. No problem with that at all. It’s your money.

But if someone is going to recklessly endanger my kid because of some misappropriated concern that’s a different story.

aracer – Member
some may look at the available evidence and then decide incorrectly what they think is best for their children

but i have a right to do that and the intellectual ability to look at the available evidence and make a reasoned decision – the OP’s point was that it wasn’t a reasoned decision

Damn right. You want me to be tolerant of your measles ridden child …….

no = i want you to be tolerant of my reasons for possibly having a measles ridden child

but some of us Cretins may not have medical degrees but have other qualifications/post grad qualifications/doctorates etc that may enable us to look at available evidence and make a reasoned decision

So having done that you’ll have understood all evidence and immunised your child using the safest method available then.

Chapeau

So having done that you’ll have understood all evidence and immunised your child using the safest method available then

yes i we waited a couple of years because believe the immune system needs more time to develop and paid for single jabs

currently live in Melbourne, Aus and have to present vac’ certs to get kids in to school

I will happily defend parents right to decide what is best for their children and attack the UK medical authorities poor position and very poor outcome on this

i have … the intellectual ability to look at the available evidence and make a reasoned decision

If the reasoned decision was to not have your child vaccinated, then I think the first part is in some doubt.

I will happily defend parents right to decide what is best for their children

Even if their decisions are quite clearly not best for their children?

I will happily defend parents right to decide what is best for their children

You mean, their right to do what THEY THINK is right for their kids, even though it’s not…

aracer – Member

I will happily defend parents right to decide what is best for their children

Even if their decisions are quite clearly not best for their children?

thought the argument was all about what was best for other peoples children – but to a point yes – there is a line as i’m sure you are aware

@aracer Science doesn’t always get it right 😉

aracer – Membe

i have … the intellectual ability to look at the available evidence and make a reasoned decision

If the reasoned decision was to not have your child vaccinated, then I think the first part is in some doubt.

as per the OP’s point so not a useful contribution

antigee – Member

This isn’t personal is it? 😕

Science doesn’t always get it right

Though it does a much better job on average than tabloid newspapers and most normal people.