I'm really disgusted by the lack of compassion in all the anti-vaccination threads

[0rganism]

51. and it continues in this thread

look at the replies! it's like people didn't even read what you posted

PEOPLE!
of course, corellation isn't causation, and there aren't any peer reviewed studies to conclusively link vaccines to autism. now put yourself in the position of a person who vaccinated their child and 6 months later has their child diagnosed as autistic -- maybe you're going to calmly observe the situation and say "there's no evidence that the vaccines caused this condition" or maybe you're going to look on the internet and get the idea that vaccines cause autism because it's been spread around a lot. or maybe you mention it to a relative who watches Faux and they link you to the idea that vaccines cause autism.

frankly, after living on this planet among my fellow humans for many years, my confidence in people generally to be able to discern quality information from bullshit is rather low. even people who are quite well versed in one or two scientific fields can end up succumbing to ... shall we say... less than reputable sources when it comes to other things.

and when one's own child is at risk, calmness and rationality are among the first things that go out the window.

so i'm not surprised that a parent in this situation might add to the chorus of voices claiming, without sound justification, that vaccines cause autism.

and now put yourself in the position of a new parent. you know that vaccination is said to play a role in preventing your child from getting diseases like measles. on the other hand, you've heard all kinds of people talking about how it causes autism, you've never been in the middle of a measles outbreak, but autism is all around you, and you're faced with a choice. think about it for a while honestly. does it surprise you that people can go either way on that choice? concern for the overall immunity of society at large doesn't even enter into the calculation for most people, and for some who do think about it, vaccine promotion seems like nothing more than a scam by profit-mongering corporations playing both ends of the game (vaccines and later medication for autistic people)

OP is quite correct: "the anti-vaccination trend will continue as long as the autism rate continues to skyrocket"

those of you shouting him/'her down need to learn empathy and reading comprehension.