The pressure and emotional blackmail that is applied to parents who
elect not to subject their children to the entire vaccination merry-go-
round is out of all proportion to their 'crime'. Getting vaccines
officially mandated (as in the States) must be manna from heaven for the
pharmaceutical companies. The decision of the Department of Health to link
vaccine uptake with financial incentives to GPs appears to suggest that
the UK is on a similar slippery slope. If you look at the whole situation
from the perspective of a business enterprise, you will see that the
pharmaceutical companies have really got us all where they want us. Whip
up a frenzy of fear about a disease that used to be considered relatively
benign (measles, say) then step right in with a magic bullet solution.
The same is happening with dire threats about a bird flu pandemic and
drugs are being stockpiled with a vaccine in the pipeline. What next?
Compulsory vaccination against bird flu? Clearly, drugs have their place.
But the pharmaceutical industry has one goal: profit. The industry must be
kept in its place. It is up to the Government, medical authorities and
general public to ensure that drugs are safe and the risk/benefit ratio is
acceptable. Creating a hysterical situation where parents and
professionals who ask perfectly legitimate questions about vaccine safety
are castigated is just plain daft. Who is pulling the strings here? Back
in the 50s there was no such fevered climate about vaccines. My parents
(one a doctor) elected against many of the vaccines. They took a
conservative view about medicine - best avoided unless absolutely
necessary. That sounds pretty sensible to me. In the present climate of
fear and reprisals we are in danger of losing all commonsense.
Rapid Response:
Vaccines are big business
The pressure and emotional blackmail that is applied to parents who elect not to subject their children to the entire vaccination merry-go- round is out of all proportion to their 'crime'. Getting vaccines officially mandated (as in the States) must be manna from heaven for the pharmaceutical companies. The decision of the Department of Health to link vaccine uptake with financial incentives to GPs appears to suggest that the UK is on a similar slippery slope. If you look at the whole situation from the perspective of a business enterprise, you will see that the pharmaceutical companies have really got us all where they want us. Whip up a frenzy of fear about a disease that used to be considered relatively benign (measles, say) then step right in with a magic bullet solution. The same is happening with dire threats about a bird flu pandemic and drugs are being stockpiled with a vaccine in the pipeline. What next? Compulsory vaccination against bird flu? Clearly, drugs have their place. But the pharmaceutical industry has one goal: profit. The industry must be kept in its place. It is up to the Government, medical authorities and general public to ensure that drugs are safe and the risk/benefit ratio is acceptable. Creating a hysterical situation where parents and professionals who ask perfectly legitimate questions about vaccine safety are castigated is just plain daft. Who is pulling the strings here? Back in the 50s there was no such fevered climate about vaccines. My parents (one a doctor) elected against many of the vaccines. They took a conservative view about medicine - best avoided unless absolutely necessary. That sounds pretty sensible to me. In the present climate of fear and reprisals we are in danger of losing all commonsense.
Competing interests: None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests