Anti-vaccination conspiracy theories are not something I've ever spent a great deal of time discussing because I consider it to be utterly nonsensical not unlike moon-landing conspiracy theories, but given the number of outbreaks we've seen lately it's worth highlighting an enormous study that should put the issue to rest.
A team of Danish scientists examined the records of over 650,000 children taken over a period of 14 years and found that children who receive the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine are actually less likely to develop autism than kids who don't receive it.
In the current study, researchers examined data on 657,461 children. During this time, 6,517 kids were diagnosed with autism.
Kids who got the MMR vaccine were seven percent less likely to develop autism than children who didn't get vaccinated, researchers report in the Annals of Internal Medicine. [...]
Researchers studied the connection between the MMR vaccine and autism in a nationwide cohort of all children born in Denmark to Danish-born mothers from 1999 to 2010. They followed kids from age one through the end of August 2013.
On today of all days, Senator Rand Paul, who is supposedly a doctor of some description, spoke out against mandatory vaccinations in the Senate.
During a Senate Health Committee hearing on Tuesday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) criticized the idea that parents should be required to vaccinate their children and perpetuated the notion that vaccines themselves could cause harm. [...]
“As we contemplate forcing parents to choose this or that vaccine, I think it’s important to remember that force is not consistent with the American story, nor is force consistent with the liberty our forefathers sought when they came to America,” said Paul, reading off a paper. “I don't think you have to have one or the other, though. I'm not here to say don’t vaccinate your kids. If this hearing is for persuasion I’m all for the persuasion. I’ve vaccinated myself and I’ve vaccinated my kids. For myself and my children I believe that the benefits of vaccines greatly outweighing the risks, but I still don’t favor giving up on liberty for a false sense of security.”
Sure, herd-immunity from diseases is important, but not as important as liberty!
