I just read an interesting take on the measles virus and MMR vaccination that I thought I’d share. It’s an excellent article that talks about the potential for a measles outbreak as the direct result of the anti-vaccine propaganda that claims that the MMR vaccine is tied to autism.

The comments quickly devolve into lunacy as a bunch of anti-vaxxers weigh in on totally unrelated questions around alt-med remedies like silver sol and honey bandages. However, if you have the patience to get through them, there’s some really fascinating stuff in there.

But to my mind, the article proper is the much more interesting read. I’ve been saddened many times by the overall lack of science in the anti-vaccination movement. A common lament of the anti-vaxxers is “your drugs are not tested enough!” followed by the suggestion of an entirely untested alt-med solution, such as Vitamin C or colloidal silver. In this article, legitimate and understood scientific findings and statistics are presented to compare the effects of vaccination. I particularly found the information on Poland’s vaccination history quite compelling.

Both sides of the argument are on the same page. We want what’s best for our children and society as a whole. And dismissing measles as an insignificant threat is nothing short of dangerous.

Jim