There are a lot of reasons to dislike New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
He’s brash. He’s ruthless. He’s the definition of a nasty politician. But even for Gov. Chris “Bridgegate” Christie, pandering to “truthers” of modern medicine is pretty reckless, if only because of its possible consequences.
While on a photo op at a vaccine laboratory, Christie argued for “some measure of choice” on whether vaccinations against measles and other diseases should be mandatory.
This is at a time when 102 cases of measles have been reported in the United States, most of them stemming from an outbreak at Disneyland. And surprise — many believe the outbreak can be blamed on parents who refused to ?vaccinate their children.
The modern anti-vaccine movement has grappled those skeptical of, well, modern medicine. The movement itself was founded on misinformed and scientifically debunked opinions, best exemplified by former “The View” co-host Jenny McCarthy. McCarthy became the leading voice against the vaccination of children after her son was diagnosed with ?autism in 2005.
She subsequently echoed the belief of the “anti-vaxxer” movement — as it has come to be known — that vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella cause autism. This belief goes back to a 1998 study published by a British gastroenterologist named Andrew Wakefield in the Lancet.
The study suggested a connection between ?vaccines and the onset of autism.
The study was subsequently lambasted and widely criticized by the scientific community. In 2010, the Lancet finally retracted the study saying it is “utterly clear, without any ambiguity at all, that (Wakefield’s) statements in the paper were utterly false.”
The British General Medical Council revoked Wakefield’s medical license on the grounds of his failure to disclose that he was working as a consultant for the lawyers of families suing vaccine manufacturers alleging the vaccines had harmed their children.
Yet despite the fact this claim has time and time again been debunked, the reckless belief persists.
And it has found a new platform.
By the looks of things, politicians like Christie and Sen. Rand Paul are looking to pander to these people, if only to get an edge with their scientifically skeptical conservative base while tacitly giving room for a debate we really shouldn’t be having.
The Centers for Disease Control, along with the vast majority of medical professionals in the field, have reiterated there is no ?scientific connection between vaccines and autism.
While there are legitimate reasons for why some children should not be vaccinated — such as when under medical treatment like chemotherapy or if they’re at an age when vaccines are not effective — most parents choosing not to vaccinate their kids are doing so out of ignorance alone. The problem is that ?ignorance has consequences, and sometimes it ?can kill.
I believe parents should be able to make rational medical decisions for their children.
But they should not be allowed to put the ?population at risk.
edsalas@indiana.edu
