Posted By Brant David in Commentary, Culture, Features, Lifestyle

BreakingModern — There is an uproar that vaccinating children ought to be legally enforced. With a resurgence of measles in the U.S., the media has characterized new Millennial parents who refuse to vaccinate their children as being lazy and irresponsible.

But are they? Is this view about individual rights just self-centered irresponsibility coming from nutty people who may be paranoid about getting vaccinated? Or is it that Millennials are benefitting from greater access to more information about vaccinations than the generations before them?

“Just Because You’re Paranoid Doesn’t Mean They Aren’t After You” – Joseph Heller

Dr. Russell Blaylock, editor of The Blaylock Wellness Report, was interviewed Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015, on the Steve Malzberg Show on Newsmax TV. Concerning whether or not any vaccines should be legally mandatory he said:

“Absolutely not. It takes away one of the fundamental rights of people, individuals and families and certainly parents — and that is the protection of their children. You should not have the right to force my child to receive a vaccine when I think that that could cause severe damage to my child.

“There’s compelling scientific evidence that vaccines are not as safe as they’re being proposed. In fact, there [can be] significant, serious problems, including death, seizures, encephalitis and severe brain damage. This is well documented in medical literature.”

So, is Dr. Blaylock some loony who ought to have his license to practice taken away? Hardly.

In a twist of irony, while seeking to prove that increased incidence of autism in children since the early ’90s cannot be linked to vaccinations, the Institute of Medicine found that vaccinations are neither totally without side effects nor proven safe for all or even most people. In fact, the extreme adverse effects that Dr. Blaylock recounted are all frighteningly real possibilities, and more common than many people want to believe.

Even if vaccinations may have benefits, the current one-size-fits-all approach is certainly a failure.

Science or Politics?

If you’re one of those who believe “the science is settled” on vaccinations and there’s no harm that can come from them, you may want to think again.

Dr. Sandy Reider is a practicing primary care physician with over 40 years of experience, and has been a parent since 1981. In the April 2014 edition of Reason magazine, Dr. Reider wrote:

“The number of vaccines given to children has increased significantly over the last 70 years, from four antigens in about five or six injections in 1949 to as many as 71 vaccine antigens in 53 injections by age 18 today (the number varies slightly from state to state). This includes four vaccines given in two shots to pregnant women (and thus the developing fetus) and 48 vaccine antigens given in 34 injections from birth to age six.

“Each vaccine preparation, in addition to the antigen or live virus, contains many other substances, including preservatives (mercury, formaldehyde), adjuvants to hyperstimulate the immune response (aluminum), gelatin, aborted fetal DNA, viral DNA, genetically modified DNA, antibiotics and so on. We know that the young child’s nervous and immune systems are actively developing and uniquely vulnerable, but I wonder how many thinking adults would themselves voluntarily submit to such an invasive drug regimen?”

Dr. Reider also concludes that “even a cursory look at the available data quickly reveals that the mortality from almost all infectious disease was in steep decline well before the introduction of vaccination or antibiotics.”

While I’m from Generation X, I have sound reasons why I never get a flu shot and will be outraged if the government tries to force one upon me or my son (who is 14 months old at the time of this writing).

The concept of strictly voluntary vaccinations isn’t irresponsibility. It’s about individual liberty.

For BMod, I’m Brant David.

Featured Image Credit: © Gabriel Blaj / Dollar Photo Club

First Image Credit: “Anti-vaccination Conspiracy Theorist at a Tea Party Express Rally” by Fibonacci Blue via Flickr Creative Commons

Second Image Credit: “Afghanistan Vaccinations” by European Commission DG ECHO via Flickr Creative Commons