[p2p-research] Inflamed passions -- Why do vaccines trigger such passionate debate?

[Ryan Lanham]

Hi Paul,

If a parent makes a decision for a child against strong social norms--and I
think it is fair to say there are strong social norms in favor of
vaccination, and the child dies of a preventable disease, do you think
societies act appropriately to put such a parent under criminal
investigation and, potentially, punishment?  I would think most humans would
answer that affirmatively.  One's answer to that social question, I suspect,
has a great deal to do with one's opinion on vaccines, in general.

I am perfectly at ease with people violating social norms, so long as they
are at ease with accepting society's punishments.  No one, not even the most
pronounced human rights advocates that I know of has ever suggested parents
have the right to raise children as they wish regardless of the rights of
the child.  Most would say the child has, if feasibly available, the right
to life.

Likewise, we would need to ask whether the family of one who can prove they
have been injured by a vaccine has the right to secure damages.  I would say
they would within some plausible constraints.

The simple insurance truth is that wearing a seatbelt can kill you.  That
risk is a minor fraction of the benefit gained.  So is a person acting
prudently to avoid wearing seatbelts?  Should they not seatbelt their
children?  When would the decisions change?

Ryan



On Tue, Oct 6, 2009 at 10:55 AM, Paul D. Fernhout <
pdfernhout at kurtz-fernhout.com> wrote:

> Ryan wrote:
>
>>  Sent to you by Ryan via Google Reader: Inflamed passions via BBC News
>> | Science & Environment | World Edition on 10/6/09
>> Why do vaccines trigger such passionate debate?
>>
>
> Ryan-
>
>  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8293149.stm
>
> From there: "But it is estimated that within the 53 countries of the WHO
> European region, more than 500,000 do not receive full immunisation and
> 32,000 die each year from vaccine preventable diseases."
>
>
>
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