Back on my high horse

I’ve banged on about immunisation in the past, so I will refrain from doing so at length again. But I want to post this link from the Stats Blog (also featured previously), which is about identifying and correcting scientific misinformation in the media resulting from bad science, politics, or a simple lack of information or knowledge.

It disturbs me that the sort of simplistic thinking of many anti-vaccination campaigners has such carriage with a lot of people, especially when it threatens the health and wellbeing of kids. So I’m always about promoting evidence that undermines their cause. So if you’re at all interested, have a look at this quick read (with citations) about a number of measles outbreaks in the US among unvaccinated kids. The numbers of deaths pre-vaccination alone are telling, and well worth reminding people of when they resort to anecdote instead of hard evidence.

NOTE TO SELF: Remember to include the link!

LATE LATE NOTE TO SELF [and the world], this is post number 600 for the blog.

HAPPY SIX HUNDREDTH, BLOG!

Comments

Anonymous said…

I agree! Parents who don't vaccinate their children border on the criminal. Mass vaccination only works when everyone does it. It's not only the kids who are not vaccinated that are at risk -- there are also the small percentage of kids for whom the vaccine didn't work for whatever reason. They are only protected if everyone around them is.
I regard the development of vaccines as one of the noblest achievments of the human race.
By the way I love your blog and especially the pictures of your gorgeous children!

9 September 2008 at 11:13

USelaine said…

Hear, hear! It is because I bear, along with my generation, a nickel sized scar on my arm, that no one will have to endure the scourge of smallpox. Imagine the hope for African children if malaria could be similarly eradicated.

600!!! I had no idea! I'm only on 191. Kudos to you.

9 September 2008 at 15:27

Anonymous said…

Congrats on the 600. Totally agree with you on this. When I was a health visitor (so, shock horror, I was sometimes the one wielding the evil needle) I had to spend hours debunking the crappy research for parents who believed that the Daily Wail and the anti-immunisation messages of assorted minor celebrities was the height of scientific scrutiny. Grrrr.

9 September 2008 at 17:25

Z said…

Congrats on the 600th!

Thanks for the link to the Stats Blog, useful information there!

9 September 2008 at 20:04

Debbie Courson Smith said…

Happy 600th post birthday!

10 September 2008 at 10:58

Mad as hell

So there I was, arm hooked up to the machine, watching my plasma swirl away into a bag while the morning news dribbled across the screen like a bad fever dream. And what were they showing? A "riot" in Melbourne, allegedly. The sort of riot where the real thugs wear body armour, carry pepper spray and look like they just walked off the set of RoboCop. The people they were beating? A ragtag crew of teenagers and old hippies—probably fresh out of a drum circle, still smelling of patchouli. But sure, let's call it a riot. Now, here's where it really gets good. I mentioned this spectacle to a few people later, thinking maybe they'd share my outrage or, at the very least, give a damn. But no. What did I get instead? A smirk, a chuckle, and—oh, the pièce de résistance—"You should really just let it go." Let it go? Yeah, let me uncork a nice, overpriced cup of coffee, sit back with my legs crossed, and soak in the latest reality TV trash. Why bother caring when ...

Hold me now, oh hold me now, until this hour has gone around. And I'm gone on the rising tide, to face Van Dieman's Land

Theme Thursday again, and this one is rather easy. I am Tasmanian, you see, and aside from being all around general geniuses - as I have amply described previously - we are also very familiar with the concept of WATER. Tasmania is the ONLY island state of an ISLAND continent. That means, we're surrounded by WATER. That should help explain why I take so many photographs of water . Tasmania was for a long time the place where the British (an island race terrified of water) sent their poor people most vile and horrid criminals. The sort of folk who would face the stark choice of a death sentence , or transportation to the other end of the world. Their catalogue of crimes is horrifying : stealing bread assault stealing gentlemen's handkerchiefs drunken assault being poor affray ladies being overly friendly with gentlemen for money hitting people having a drink and a laugh public drunkenness being Irish Fenian terrorist activities being Catholic religious subversion. ...

Something unpleasant is coming when men are anxious to tell the truth.

This is the moon. Have I mentioned how much I adore the zoom on my camera? It's Theme Thursday you see, and after last week's limp effort, I have been thinking about how I might redeem myself. Then I clicked on the topic and discover that it was BUTTON. We've been hearing a lot about the moon in the past couple of weeks. Apparently some fellas went up there and played golf and what-not forty-odd years ago. The desire to get to the moon, however, was not simply about enhancing opportunities for Meg and Mog titles and skirting local planning by-laws in the construction of new and innovative golf courses. No, all of your Sputniks , "One small steps" and freeze dried ice cream was about one thing , and one thing only : MAD Now, I don't mean mad in terms of "bloke breaks record for number of scorpions he can get up his bum", no I mean MAD as in Mutual assured destruction . When I was a young man you see, there was a lot of talk about the type of m...

This will hurt me...

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