Why go down that road when talking about innoculations?
There are a LOT of myths about innoculation -- twaddle and nonsense that just doesn't wash when intelligent analysis is applied.
Innoculations and vaccinations have saved a great many lives over the decades. Remember polio?
No?
Well, say "thank you" to modern medicine.
Have to say it [ ] but DeSelby is right .... again.....
Let me state up front I am pro-vax. Kiddos, dogs, self, wife, get all the suggested ones, on schedule. I am seriously considering going in and re-upping all the vaxes I got in the service. You know, the ones for yellow fever, black plague, etc. All the suggested ones for travel anywhere on the globe. I also get the flu vax every year as early as possible.
That said, the argument in favor of the most common vaccines is not as strong as most the pro-vax crowd states.
At least three major flies in the pro-vax ointment:
1. The mortality rate for the common childhood diseases (esp measles, mumps, chicken pox, etc.) show a decline from the beginning of the 20th century in the USA. From the data I have seen,
the decline in mort rates and numbers did not accelerate subsequent to the introduction of the vaccines for those particular diseases. If the vaccines had any particular efficacy beyond the phenomena already present, we ought to see an acceleration in mort rate declines. It has reached the point where deaths from adverse reactions tot he vaccine are greater than deaths from several of the diseases. The math, she is a female dog.
Fly #1 is pretty easy to explain, at least most of it. When they first hit the population, those childhood diseases were not childhood diseases, but horrifically lethal plagues. Over time, the human population is selected for hardiness vs that bug. Also, the bug itself changes to be generally less lethal but more transmissible. This is the usual path most bugs take over time when introduced to a new population. Measles, mumps, chicken pox, syphilis, etc. etc. and such. Toss in better personal hygiene and public sanitation and you see the 20th century decline in those bugs' lethality. Again, lethality which did not decline appreciably faster after the intro of vaccines for the particular bugs.
2. Flu vax is particularly problematic. The flu vax this last season did not cover 50% of the flu variants (or cases?) out there. Push that 0.50 up against some unknown probability of exposure and some probability that even if the flu vax protects against it, that it does not work. How far below a coin toss are we at this point? I mean, we STARTED at a coin toss. What is the cutoff probability of efficacy after which it is unethical to introduce the risks inherent with administering the flu vaccine?
Fly #2 is a toughie to explain. I still get it and figure I am hearty enough to suck up any adverse reaction.
3. The CDC turned studies on vax efficacy and adverse reactions into unethical junk science with their methodology. I should know better, but that one floored me. First, you have gov't calling the shots (heh) on childhood vax production with a monopsony. Second, you have gov't giving the companies that produce them serious protection against lawsuits for producing defective products. Third, you have gov't investigating itself to determine adverse reactions, efficacy, etc. This is not a recipe for rigor and accountability outside the masturbatory writings of good-government activists.
Fly #3 is a mike foxtrotter. Monopsony, self-policing, and no accountability.
The arguments for herd immunity are well and good. Problem is, when there is no reliable data for vax efficacy or adverse reactions, it knocks much of the support out from under it. When vax efficacy can not be determined due to shoddy methodology performed by unaccountable bureaucrats, what is the point? Frankly, I get my vax shots based on faith that some folk are getting paid and generally want to do a decent job. Because the risk/benefit data can't be used to make an informed choice. I also get them because we are letting in disease carriers willy-nilly from all over the world. (Hence the more exotic vax I am considering).