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Some poignant points have emerged in recent emails. Boddington is no doubt correct about the journalistic attractiveness of the 'underdog-Wakefield' side of the story, and the need to fight like with like. Also many parents will have great sympathy with the act-of-parent versus act-of-God sentiments posted earlier, even though a few minds will eventually overrule hearts in the common-versus-individual benefit argument. The summary from the USCDC is an excellent formal scientific response and to most parents, I suspect, would be about as convincing and re-assuring as any government statement. Doesn't it exactly highlight the problem in the final sentence? "Thus, there are no compelling data..." Compelling (or not) data are something that might be accepted when discussing the existence of a new fundamental particle or a planet. That's not perceived as anywhere near good enough for any health-related question. Data which indicate a problem don't need to be compelling when personal health is involved. In any case how many times in the past have there been 'no compelling data'? Smoking/cancer, BSE/CJD.... I suspect the public perception is that that list is endless - no smoke without fire; that surely is the first hurdle. Interesting that health stories about mobile phones haven't knocked the bottom out of that market. I suppose protective parents are just very different from immortal teenagers! Dave PS Sorry, I was maybe a little hasty in my Netscape comment. It only killed one session (of v4.75) - other attempts took a minute or so to appear (not due to network speed), which in today's world is effectively dead! ********************************************************************** 1. To suspend yourself from the list, whilst on leave, for example, send an email to [log in to unmask] with the following message: set psci-com nomail 2. To resume email from the list, send the following message: set psci-com mail 3. To leave psci-com, send an email to [log in to unmask] with the message: leave psci-com 4. Further information about the psci-com discussion list, including list archive, can be found at the list web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/psci-com.html 5. The psci-com gateway to internet resources on science communication and science and society can be found at http://psci-com.org.uk **********************************************************************