Abû Hurayrah relates that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “Islam began strange, and it will become strange again just like it was at the beginning, so blessed are the strangers.” [Sahîh Muslim (1/130)]

Friday, February 13, 2015

All this chatter about vaccines...


A huge furor was created in the news media recently over the outbreak of measles in Disneyland in the US. The outbreak has sparked heated debate in the mainstream media in the US after more than 70 people contracted the disease since then, a disease long since thought under control. The debate centers on the perceived need based on the public welfare to ensure everyone is vaccinated to stamp out the threat versus those who continue to question the effectiveness and risks of vaccines themselves.

As usual, the big press has succumbed to the alarmist hysteria that we witnessed with swine flu, anthrax and several other putative public menaces. In a rush, it has labelled anyone with even a mild degree of skepticism towards vaccines as an 'anti-vaxxer'. Apparently it is now a movement. Of course, not all vaccine skeptics are against every kind of vaccinations, but who cares? This is typical of media tendencies to shut down critical discussion as soon as events unfold, only to later backtrack or ignore any reasonable evidence to the contrary. TV show hosts have defined the spectrum of reasonable discussion for some time.

I won't go over the scientific data on vaccinations, but clearly with cases of polio or smallpox, for example, it would be foolish to ignore how tremendously effective they have been in vanquishing the diseases. The numbers are there in stark reality. The problem with the vaccine debate though is that it is not as clear cut as proponents of vaccines make it out to be.

The first issue is parental or patient choice when dealing with vaccines. It is disturbing to see ostensibly well-meaning medical practitioners and legal analysts casually discuss how the need for vaccines overrides freedom of choice of parents and patients in what goes into their bodies. Some have even suggested leveling penalties and possible imprisonment for parents who refuse to give their children recommended vaccinations. This is so overboard that it borders on ridiculous. It may not be long before they call on lawmakers to re-look at the laws in most states allowing for an opt-out option on vaccinations. Of course, anyone who does opt-out should realise that this may come with consequences such as where they can work or travel, and where their child can go to school.



Another source of skepticism is that not all vaccines are alike, the same way not all diseases are alike. Is it ok to put anthrax vaccines in the same category as polio or Hepatitis? Is it not fair to view certain vaccines that have been in the market and public sphere decades longer with more trust than seasonal varieties that are pushed into are arms with every annual mutating flu?

Lastly, we are dealing with a severely compromised medical industry nowadays, that has developed an oh-so-cozy relationship with the pharmaceutical complex, all overseen by a government that itself has repeatedly made false claims to the public for questionable goals. Is there any surprise that this will engender a bit of skepticism? Suddenly on this particular issue, we are to trust every claim made to us that it is for our own best health? Are there any nuances to the vaccine issue that need to be explained, without resorting to crass labels such as 'anti-vaxxer'?

I see the value in certain vaccines, but I am hesitant to rush into pumping every new vaccine on the market into my arm as if its the fashionable thing to do. To some, this may seem like an extreme position. I am sure there are many of my friends who would do away with all vaccines altogether, an idea I think goes too far. But holding this position doesn't mean I am a conspiracy theorist or regressive when it comes to science either. The answer, I feel as with most things, falls somewhere in between.