re: #572 GeneJockey

The reason antivaxxers have gained so much prominence is largely because we don’t have children in industrialized nations dying of whooping cough, diphtheria, polio, smallpox, etc. Before the antivax movement took off, we had functionally eradicated these diseases which used to kill thousands every year. The absence of the deaths allowed people to forget what it was like.

Then, for a while, herd immunity allowed the irresponsible, stupid, gullible people to coast on everyone else’s responsibility. Their kids didn’t get sick, because there were no sick kids to expose them. Thus, their choice didn’t seem so dangerous and irresponsible.

But that only works till the number of people who are stupid enough not to vaccinate reaches a certain level.

So, it’s what you might call a First World Problem. We did such a good job eliminating infectious diseases that people have lost all conception of how bad it used to be.

The other part, of course, is the rise of autism and the desire of parents of autistic children to 1) find some cause that’s not their fault, and 2) find some magical cure that will make it all better. As the parent of a son diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome (now Autistic Spectrum Disorder), believe me, I understand the pain. You grieve for the ‘perfect’ child you dreamed of. You worry whether he’ll find a place in the world. You run out of patience at the rigidity of thinking, or the atypical reactions to things. You get tired of dealing with it, and you just want to scream, “JUST BE NORMAL FOR ONCE!!!” Then you feel like the shittiest parent in the whole damned world, for thinking that.

But it’s not Big Pharma’s fault. It’s not mercury in vaccines, or numbers of vaccines. There’s not a magical cure. you have to live with it, and accept that life is just shit that happens.

All very true. I just shake my head in disbelief at some of the nonsense I come across. I can’t help but think the internet is spreading all manner of bullshit with lightning speed, and the credulous swallow it all.

I have no kids of my own, but I tip my hat to you in regard to your child.