Alan O Rourke is rightly concerned that a decrease in vaccination levels
may increase the likelihood that some individuals may suffer harm. However,
the notions of attributing blame to people who raise concerns about MMR,
and requiring vaccination prior to school entry seem to me the start of the
slippery slope towards curtailing freedom of speech and universal
medication; neither of which is particularly appealing.
The constant focus on the safety or not of MMR needs to be put in context
i.e. worried parents,caring for children with a distressing condition about
which much is unknown.
This is very sensitively expressed by Goldberg.
Goldberg (2000) describes in a personal view on autism how:
"The health departments' stance based on wide ranging non-governmental
expert opinion that the vaccine is safe was dismissed by many whose view
was, "Well they would say that, wouldn't they?"
He although in support of the expert opinion is sensitive to the doubters
and states that
"it would be a gross insult to the intelligence of these parents(with
autistic children) if their collective view was explained as an emotional
response to media hyperbole. They sense that not enough is known about the
cause of autism and too little is being done to develop effective
pharmacological and behavioural therapies."
British Medical Journal
Volume 320(7231) 5 February 2000 p 389
MMR, autism, and Adam
Goldberg, David
John Platt
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