A Measles-Free Future

Excellent article by @AJRoberts

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This certainly is a pressing problem:

One day the world could be measles-free. The 15 children that die every hour from measles infections could be saved. The 20–30% of infected people who require hospitalization could be spared the expense and experience. The threat of the rare, neurologically debilitating, and fatal disease (SSPE) that can develop decades after infection could be eliminated. How? Through life-saving immunizations.

I’ve decided to focus this blog on one vaccine—the measles (MMR, MMRV)1 vaccine. Why just one vaccine as opposed to all vaccines in general? The main reason is that this one holds the real promise of one day becoming unnecessary .

Kudos @AJRoberts for writing on this. Write more about it if you can.

When I first presented Peaceful Science to my department, the first question this group of immunologists had? “Do you think this could help the public understand and use vaccines?” You are hitting on exactly what they saw as the most important question. They would thank you whole heartedly, no matter what you think about evolution.

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Sadly, some of the general skepticism against science among many Christians has bled through to the practical outcome of a reservoir of none vaccinated children.

I could not find articles dealing with personal responsibility in regards to vaccination on the CMI or AiG websites. Can any YEC here direct us to definitive positions on this?

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This is not substantiated with evidence. Non-religious communities have the same problem.

Sorry if I left the impression that this was an exclusively or even dominantly anti-science Christian issue. That is not the case at all. Hollywood celebrities and rap artists weigh in with their considerable insight and rigorous acumen. It does not help that the CIA famously used vaccination programs to gather intelligence, and in so doing politicized the effort throughout much of the world. Some politicians in Africa have reframed the whole concept of disease and vaccination into a colonial narrative and pushed against it. I certainly agree that this is far from a wholly Christian problem.

But here, in Alberta, there is a vocal anti-vaccination representation among some Christians, in line with a general skepticism towards science. We have had child neglect charges go to court over natural remedies by Christian parents which led to their child’s demise, so while it is not an exclusively church issue, it is certainly a present and disturbing movement within some churches.

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Here’s one, a @PDPrice supplied link, from CMI, which positively supports vaccination:
Should Christians Vaccinate?
Not going to nit pick. Good to see this.

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Well, if this isn’t common ground, I do not know what is!

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