The Vaccine Debate

The reports that Republicans Sen. Rand Paul and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie have been giving the wink to anti vaxxers is more than a bit troubling. Although both potential Presidential candidates have admitted to having had their own children vaccinated, both believe the decision to vaccinate should be left entirely up to the parents.

Sadly, the Republicans have a reputation as the anti-science Party. I'm beginning to believe that reputation is well deserved. The fact that 34% of Democrats believe that God created Humans less than 10,000 years ago  makes little difference. 52% of Republicans believe the same.

Far too many Americans deny any possibility of climate change and/or evolution. Now we can add the growing number of Americans who reject the science behind vaccination.

Slate writer Jamelle Bouie has his own theory as to how we can "encourage" parents to vaccinate their children.

Force.

I agree that in the interest of the health of the child and the general public, all children should be vaccinated, but I can't agree with Bouie's approach. I'm not sure he would either if he thought through the problem. He writes, "Like any affiliation, anti-vaccination beliefs become stronger when attacked by outsiders".

Yet that is exactly what he recommends.I can just imagine how these ant-vaxxers would react to coercion.

They'd probably elect candidates like Chris Christie and Rand Paul.