Anti-vaccine mothers discuss their thinking amid backlash (moved from LBN)

[Omaha Steve]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ANTI_VACCINE_PARENTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-02-22-11-37-24

BY GOSIA WOZNIACKA

LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. (AP) -- One is a businesswoman and an MBA graduate. Another is a corporate vice president. The third is a registered nurse.

These three mothers - all of them educated, middle-class professionals - are among the vaccine skeptics who have been widely ridiculed since more than 100 people fell ill in a measles outbreak traced to Disneyland. Critics question their intelligence, their parenting, even their sanity. Some have been called criminals for foregoing shots for their children that are overwhelmingly shown to be safe and effective.

"Contrary to the common sentiment, we are not anti-science," said Michelle Moore, a businesswoman who lives in the affluent Portland suburb of Lake Oswego with her 2 1/2-year-old twin girls. "I'm not opposed to medicine, and I think vaccines have a place. We think it's a medical choice, and it should be researched carefully."

The backlash, much of it from people who fear unvaccinated children could infect their own kids, has been so severe that dozens of anti-vaccine parents contacted by The Associated Press were afraid to speak out. But a handful of mothers agreed to discuss their thinking.

FULL story at link.



In a Feb. 9, 2015 photo, Michelle Moore poses for a photo with her twin daughters, Sierra, right, and Savannah in Lake Oswego, Ore. Moore is not opposed to medicine, thinks vaccines have a place and are a medical choice that should be researched carefully. Moore is among the vaccine skeptics who have been widely ridiculed since more than 100 people fell ill in a measles outbreak traced to Disneyland. (AP Photo/Gosia Wozniacka)

[Dr Hobbitstein]

1. So much education and so much willfull ignorance... n/t

[etherealtruth]

3. Sadly, this is the case with most of the anti-vaxxers

Willful ignorance

[greatauntoftriplets]

21. Your book is long overdue.

[Rozlee]

9. I've said it before and I'll say it again. They're not merely ignorant and misinformed.

They're a cult of conspiracy theorists. Presented with evidence proving many of their beliefs and concerns false, most still remain unmoved. They won't give up their beliefs even in the face of great harm to their families and others.

[Sheldon Cooper]

11. The smartest person I know is an Ivy league grad who scored a perfect 1600 on the SATs.

He became a chiropractor and he believes that vaccines contain toxins and that there is a secret government program that provides compensation to children who were horribly damaged through vaccines.

I won't have a conversation with him about this because I don't know how to address such craziness.

[Dr Hobbitstein]

15. The GIFs in your sig

appears to show EXACTLY how to address such craziness.

[MohRokTah]

2. "Contrary to the common sentiment, we are not anti-science," said Michelle Moore

Yes, you ARE anti-science.

[Dr Hobbitstein]

5. We're not anti-science,

we just don't believe time-tested, peer-reviewed studies.

[marym625]

4. Sorry, can't rec this

I don't care what their reasons. They are putting their children and society at risk. The most likely to contract MMR from their children are those that cannot be vaccinated, the very young and the already ill. It's a despicable, careless, choice.

[Dr Hobbitstein]

6. The article isn't supporting the ant-vax movement.

It's showing the face of it. The fact that most of these people are highly educated is disturbing. You would think higher education opens one's mind for learning...

[marym625]

8. You would think.

Obviously, it doesn't always matter.

I understand that it isn't exactly in support of the anti vaccine insanity. However, the fact it talks about the educated who think vaccines are bad is a way to support that movement.

As far as education goes; I would like to share my favorite, overheard, conversation. I was at a Cubs game standing near a group of 20somethings. They started talking about a friend they had in common. 20S1: did you hear Tom is back for the summer? 20S2: Oh, did he finish his masters program? What's that, his second Master's degree? Guy has more degrees than anyone I know. 20S3: You know what that means? He can read.

Now I realize this was, most likely, sour grapes. But it cracked me up. Education doesn't always translate to understanding. Certainly doesn't translate to compassion.

[jwirr]

19. All too much education deals with only the major your are working to get a degree in. So they

know a lot about an MBA, etc. And not necessarily much about anything else. The nurse I do not understand.

[Stargazer09]

7. Researched carefully?

But she includes Wakefield's "research" in the research she's done? Ugh.

Yes, there are inconsistencies, and no matter what, there will be someone out there who has a bad reaction to the vaccine. But not vaccinating your kids based on the tiny possibility of a bad reaction is not very bright. That's like refusing to drive a car, because there's a possibility of being in an accident.

[Dr Hobbitstein]

17. There's a bigger risk of being in a car accident

than having an adverse reaction to a vaccine at that.

Cognitive dissonance. It's not just for dumb Republicans.

[spanone]

10. i've learned through the years, there are well-educated idiots.

[geomon666]

12. There should be warning in the OP

Reading that article will make your blood boil.

[REP]

13. If you send an idiot to college you get an idiot with a degree

[Gothmog]

14. The anti-vaccine people are lying to themselves

The level of denial is sad

[VanillaRhapsody]

16. You cannot learn common sense...

[Quantess]

18. Interesting.