Vaccines and Autism

[BrokenQuill92]

So I know this is beating a dead horse, but has anyone ever stopped to ask why anti-vaxers are treating autism (or disability in general) like some sort of life dooming thing? Doesn't anyone else think it's really weird that they'd rather their kid(s) have mumps, smallpox, polio, measles, etc than live with a disability?

[downbeatplumb]

So I know this is beating a dead horse, but has anyone ever stopped to ask why anti-vaxers are treating autism (or disability in general) like some sort of life dooming thing? Doesn't anyone else think it's really weird that they'd rather their kid(s) have mumps, smallpox, polio, measles, etc than live with a disability?

They don't think like that. Because these diseases aren't very visible due to the success of vaccination they don't see them as an issue. Autism on the other hand they do see and can't stand the thought of their little angels being anything less than perfect.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

People are quick to want something to blame, and I can't blame them for that. When your child suddenly changes, or rather, you get a diagnosis that your child is unwell, you're naturally going to start looking for an explanation and hopefully a resolution.

Unfortunately when you get a snake oil salesman like Andrew Wakefield who comes along offering a panacea both in explanation ("it's MMR!") and a treatment ("don't use MMR!") then it seems so easy.

What these people don't realise is that they're contributing to making illnesses like autism even worse by diverting interest and cash away from real research. Instead these people view Wakefield et al as some sort of deity who has gone against the man and told them exactly what they wanted to hear.

[brewer]

I'm not doing this again.

[Mermaid]

So I know this is beating a dead horse, but has anyone ever stopped to ask why anti-vaxers are treating autism (or disability in general) like some sort of life dooming thing? Doesn't anyone else think it's really weird that they'd rather their kid(s) have mumps, smallpox, polio, measles, etc than live with a disability?

Clearly, people do not grasp that vaccines prevent serious diseases. If they thought vaccines prevented diseases, they would vaccinate their kids.

[zebo-the-fat]

People are just stupid

[AFTT47]

Anti-vaxers are fucking idiots and public enemies. I don't have much more to say about them.

[Alex K]

I guess there's also that psychological-philosophical difference between the risk of actively doing harm (or thinking one does) and the risk of doing nothing. The latter is usually perceived as less problematic

[BrokenQuill92]

I guess there's also that psychological-philosophical difference between the risk of actively doing harm (or thinking one does) and the risk of doing nothing. The latter is usually perceived as less problematic

I suppose I don't see where doing nothing is less problematic

[Minimalist]

People are quick to want something to blame, and I can't blame them for that. When your child suddenly changes, or rather, you get a diagnosis that your child is unwell, you're naturally going to start looking for an explanation and hopefully a resolution.

This.  Especially as autism has a high probability of genetic cause and that would mean that the parents are responsible.  No one wants to be responsible for anything, anymore.