I read a news article this past week that absolutely infuriated me. The article was promoting vaccinations, which is well and good as it was, but it caricaturized people who choose not to vaccinate their children as superstitious, misinformed, backwoods individuals.

Now, don't get me wrong. I respect some of the advances made through study and through immunizations. In fact, I FAVOR some immunizations to a certain extent. But the legal "loopholes" of many states require an "all or nothing" exemption to vaccination requirements, meaning I'm not allowed to CHOOSE which vaccinations my child does or doesn't get. I'm either morally (or religiously) opposed, or I'm not.

THIS is where I take issue with vaccinations. Far from showing that vaccinations are universally helpful, evidence can be shown to the contrary. Though the US responded to concerns about the autism link between the mercury based additives to earlier immunizations (without an admission of guilt, mind you), the fact that they have continued in their refusal to provide fair, objective information about vaccines to those who wish to receive such information, creates a credibility gap that cannot be mended in my mind. All you have to do is look at the flouride and chlorine initiatives in our drinking water, the fact that lead and cadmium were used in plastics manufacture without full disclosure until AT LEAST 1996 (I know because I was working with these chemicals. When I mentioned the use of the chemicals as the reason I wanted my then 1 year old's lead levels tested, the DOCTOR was surprised to hear of the lead and cadmium in the plastics), and the fact that lead was added to our gasoline until the 1970's as good examples of why the government's information should not be trusted absent an evaluation of the hard data (for extra evidence of government misinformation, research the suspected and known complications of, among other things, aspartame, colloidal silver, and aluminum in deodorants, the latter of which was referenced in one of KarmaGirl's blogs). The government consistently and willingly misinforms the American public, and you can NOT trust their information at face value.

The pro immunization crowd also ignores the fact that many "alternative" medicine practitioners utilize herbs and substances known to strengthen the body's immune response to an acquired disease. Far from being a rabbit's foot or four leaf clover as the article implied, these herbs and substances are actually suggested by most traditional health practitioners when a disease IS acquired.

I do love the advancements medical science has made over the years. But I'm not willing to concede EVERY new medical revelation as an "advancement" absent the evidence, and frankly, neither should you.