Seriously people? In light of all the documentation proving that vaccines cause do cause autism?
All laid out and summed up here.
Someone we know created that website, and I laugh and laugh every single time.
Like LavenderBlue says, the anti-vaccine movement (I’ve taken to calling them the vaccine denialist cult, because their behavior is very very cult-like) is tiny, but LOUD. And crazy - they are currently planning a trip to my institution to demand that I be fired for my advocacy.
We, the vaccine advocates who are basing their decisions on settled science, need to be louder, and more involved. We need to debunk their lies every single time we see them, on a comment thread or in the news. We need to demand that journalists stop giving them equal time as scientists, in the name of a false “balance” in the news. We need to call out their more insane beliefs, such as the one posted yesterday day on the Facebook page of Vactruth that the US Department of Health and Human Services is killing children with vaccines so that they can harvest those children’s organs and sell them for profit.
People can’t pretend anymore that these people are harmless and will eventually go away.
Sadly, this sounds exactly like a metric fuckton of sincere antivax loons, so if you meant it as satire, try harder! 
And Oswald was supposedly in the book depository! OMG it all makes sense!
What’s needed, of course, is to develop a new vaccine
to prevent (or cure) terminal stupidity.
That’s the easy part. Then, you’ve got get them to take this vaccine!
Now if the anti-vaxers would dig into the dirt more …
Maybe autism is caused by the parents’ belief that vaccines cause autism…
ETA: That’s rwally not fair, and it’s a cheap shot to boot. My apologies to all of the sane* parents coping with an autistic child.
*Parents who don’t blame vaccines.
The ultimate placebo effect!
Bump - new study here confirms no link.
Australian Government has just announced ‘No Jab, No Pay’.
If you don’t get the kid vaccinated, as well as the kid not being allowed to attend school, the family will not be eligible for the relevant Child Benefits and rebates.
I’m not sure I agree with this ruling entirely (It is impinging on some freedoms of choice), but at least it shows the Government is tackling the Anti-Vaxxers seriously.
And out here in California, we have SB 277 winding it’s way thru the legislature…
*Legislation requiring vaccinations for nearly all California schoolchildren revived Wednesday, winning the approval of a Senate committee that a week earlier looked poised to reject the measure.
Amendments giving non-vaccinated children more educational options beyond traditional schooling generated enough support to push Senate Bill 277 out of the Senate Education Committee on a 7-2 vote.
The bill heads to the Senate Judiciary Committee, the next step in a potentially long odyssey winding through several committees and floor votes in both the Assembly and Senate. Every Democrat on the Judiciary Committee is either a co-sponsor of the bill or has voted for it.
Still, they will wrestle with issues that could include whether an exemption for parents who object to vaccinations on religious grounds would be legally feasible. Multiple lawmakers said Wednesday that the legislation will require more changes if it is to make it to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk and win his signature.*
LavenderBlue, any chance you are going to be in the neighborhood? This is getting TV coverage morning and evening. People are down at the Capitol protesting (or supporting). The ignorance of the anti-vax mommies is just palpable.
Ya’ll are a bunch of rapists.
It’s leaving all choice open. Choices always have consequences, and in this case the consequences of not vaccinating will include a reduction in societal benefits. Which is rather apt considering that not vaccinating is an anti-social thing to do.
I am stuck here in cold and wet NJ alas.
FYI, if anyone wants to be more involved with this issue, pleas consider becoming a Shot@Life Champion as I have or just donating to help fund
vaccines for poor kids.
Except that child benefits are paid for by taxes - which all society contribute to, and the government distributes in a way that benefits society - in this case by ensuring all children are able to have a reasonable level of affluence appropriate to the society.
But there’s no choice about paying taxes.
There are trade-offs everywhere. Affluence isn’t just a matter of money. Pressuring dumbass parents into vaccinating by financial means might well result in greater child benefit overall.
Wallaby, I’m not quite sure I get your point so please correct me if I’m wrong.
Are you suggesting that because taxes are mandatory (well most people pay them) child benefits should be as well?
If that is the argument, a number of benefits (through taxes) are concessional. Such as pensions, social security benefits and even rebate on usage of diesel fuel.
I don’t think taxes were imposed to ensure equality of affluence- they were merely fund raising measures. How the Govt disposes of the funds to please the voters is a matter for the Govt of the day.
As I said, I am probably not clearly understanding the point you are making.
Quick bump to this thread - this CA bill I mentioned above has passed the Assembly committeeand, hopefully, will continue moving forward…
*A California bill mandating full vaccination for schoolchildren now awaits an Assembly floor vote after passing the Assembly Health Committee on a 12-6 vote Tuesday.
Senate Bill 277 would end the “personal belief exemption” that allows parents to enroll kids in school without having the full slate of vaccines. It allows for medical exemptions, with a recent amendment seeking to make it easier for physicians to sign off on those opt-outs, though bill opponents insisted the exemptions would remain out of reach for many.*
CBS News reported yesterday on the results of the largest study of its kind linking parental age to autism.
Children whose fathers were over the age of 50 had 66% increased rate of autism. Children whose mothers were over 40 had 15% increased rate of autism, while children of teen moms had 18% increased rate of autism (this last is thought to be due to poor pre-natal care and socio-economic reasons).
Autism rates also increased when both parents are older as well as when there was a wide gap in the ages of the parents (both father older and mother older). In these results, the base compared to was parents in their 20s.
Although the study states that these risk factors are not to be construed as causative, it’s difficult to avoid drawing that conclusion.
AH-HA!
Older people are less likely to be anti-vaxxers. It stands to reason that older parents are therefore more likely to get their kids vaccinated. More kids vaccinated means more autism!
Proof once again that vaccines cause autism.
CAUTION: SARCASM
If there is one thing that’s become clear(er), it’s that autism has no one cause and is very likely a genetic predisposition triggered by a number of catalysts.
As for fathers… I have observed intensive autism therapy from the sidelines for almost 20 years, perhaps 300-400 cases in all, and a strong trend is fathers who are clearly on the spectrum themselves, from functional Aspergers to “kind of weird techy sort of guy.” Which is why I would bet there are very few cases from outside causes (fetal nutrition, infant illness, etc.) alone.