My Mother is an Anti-Vaccination idiot.

[MJ the Skeptical]

My mother went to school as an Autism specialist, and has stuck by her guns that vaccines cause Autism. My brother has Autism and she completely blames the medical system for my brothers Autism, despite evidence to the contrary. She sites studies from the 90s that claimed Autism was caused by Vaccines (basically the Jim Carey, Jenny McCarthy crowd) and she refuses to believe that she is fallible on the topic since she studied it for years and she refuses to believe that the information she has learned is fallible. She refuses to believe that Science can progress, and I think this is a problem within her head since she is a religious person, dogmatically believing whatever she wants to believe to give her comfort. I have tried everything, given her evidence that the people who made those studies that claimed Autism was caused by Vaccines have since retracted their statements, but to no avail. She has called me ignorant on the topic even though I am looking at it more objectively than she is, since she will not bend with new evidence. Just wondering, what should I say to her? Maybe this topic is too intense for her and I should leave it alone. But at the same time I am hugely against Anti-Vaccination people for obvious reasons. Any advice would be awesome, otherwise I'm sure I'm going to here the same thing I've heard from my friends.

[Bob Kelso]

I have a website for your mum;

http://howdovaccinescauseautism.com/

[kılıç_mehmet]

Here there is no such debate about vaccinations, and every child gets one.
Whether they cause autism or not, I believe that minecraft causes considerably more autism.

[BrokenQuill92]

Just stay far away from Autism Speaks

[Lemonvariable72]

Here there is no such debate about vaccinations, and every child gets one.
Whether they cause autism or not, I believe that minecraft causes considerably more autism.

You clearly don't understand anything about autism or video games do you? Babies with autism can show signs as early as 6 months, and the key diagnostic factors in autism present before age 3.

---

Just stay far away from Autism Speaks

Organization like that are actually rather unfortunate. There are million of people like myself out there with high functioning forms of autism that are given little to no support, despite the fact that many with just a little support and encouragement could really excel in a lot of things. Instead all of the attention and research and support goes to the kids that are munching crayons and beating teachers aids.

[bennyboy]

If your mother wants the truth, google is available for all. If she already knows the truth without looking at facts, then she's guilty of dogma-- and cannot be reasoned with.

[KichigaiNeko]

My mother went to school as an Autism specialist, and has stuck by her guns that vaccines cause Autism. My brother has Autism and she completely blames the medical system for my brothers Autism, despite evidence to the contrary. She sites studies from the 90s that claimed Autism was caused by Vaccines (basically the Jim Carey, Jenny McCarthy crowd) and she refuses to believe that she is fallible on the topic since she studied it for years and she refuses to believe that the information she has learned is fallible. She refuses to believe that Science can progress, and I think this is a problem within her head since she is a religious person, dogmatically believing whatever she wants to believe to give her comfort. I have tried everything, given her evidence that the people who made those studies that claimed Autism was caused by Vaccines have since retracted their statements, but to no avail. She has called me ignorant on the topic even though I am looking at it more objectively than she is, since she will not bend with new evidence. Just wondering, what should I say to her? Maybe this topic is too intense for her and I should leave it alone. But at the same time I am hugely against Anti-Vaccination people for obvious reasons. Any advice would be awesome, otherwise I'm sure I'm going to here the same thing I've heard from my friends.

There is nothing you can say to her Godslayer. Not one damn piece of evidence will change her mind, she is religious about this topic and nothing will sway her POV.

She IS wrong, like religious people, but that will change nothing

[MJ the Skeptical]

If your mother wants the truth, google is available for all. If she already knows the truth without looking at facts, then she's guilty of dogma-- and cannot be reasoned with.

The problem is she thinks she has the truth and cannot be proven wrong. I suppose there is nothing I can say to that, you're right. But for some reason this always gets brought up since we directly experience Autism all the time.

[Aractus]

You know I have a big problem with people who take extremes on the issue of vaccination, either for, or against. Yes vaccines have saved countless lives, but they have also caused harm, in recent years there have even been ones that were recalled. And that's because no vaccine has the time before coming to the market to be properly tested to the same level that we expect of all other pharmaceuticals - they just don't. If they aren't released fast enough, they become ineffective.

I remain, therefore, ambivalent on the issue since I would be hesitant to use something that hasn't been proven to be safe. Just because the last say 90 vaccines that were released were safe doesn't make the next one released safe. So speaking personally, I would vaccinate my children only with the vaccines that I believed to have been proven safe - if there was one just released to the market for something new I'd refuse it - I'd wait at least a year to see if anyone gets sick or dies from it before accepting it.

[MJ the Skeptical]

You know I have a big problem with people who take extremes on the issue of vaccination, either for, or against.

A binary question has a correct answer. Does it not depend where the evidences lies. If the evidence lies with vaccines being a mostly good thing, then it's good to take a positive position on it. End of story.

Yes vaccines have saved countless lives, but..

There is no but, that is all you need to know.

they have also caused harm

Let's just pretend I conceded the harm aspect. What's the ratio of good vs. harm in vaccines then? if you're seriously going to bring up such rare occasions.

in recent years there have even been ones that were recalled.

Again, how often do recalls happen compared to how often the vaccines work?...

And that's because no vaccine has the time before coming to the market to be properly tested to the same level that we expect of all other pharmaceuticals - they just don't. If they aren't released fast enough, they become ineffective.

You and my mom would definitely get along. However, vaccines have never been better and continue to get better.

I remain, therefore, ambivalent on the issue since I would be hesitant to use something that hasn't been proven to be safe.

Go ahead and not vaccinate your kids and you'll have to explain to them what a horrible father you are when they get mumps or measles etc.

Just because the last say 90 vaccines that were released were safe doesn't make the next one released safe.

There's no guarantees in life, friendo.

So speaking personally, I would vaccinate my children only with the vaccines that I believed to have been proven safe

I'm glad you at least would vaccinate. But, could you really name a vaccine you would refuse your child, this should be good...

if there was one just released to the market for something new I'd refuse it - I'd wait at least a year to see if anyone gets sick or dies from it before accepting it.

You better hold off on having kids based on your level of trust in medical science then...