Momtezuma Tuatara
26-02-09, 12:33 PM
As you know, most people these days think that vaccines are the primary cause of disease decline.
Doctors reinforce this myth with ludicrous statements like this, from none other than Stanford University (http://stanmed.stanford.edu/2009spring/article4.html) . You'd think they'd know better, but I guess they are just as brain-washed as any other vaccine defender:
Nothing trumps vaccines for lives saved. To me, the science behind the need, efficacy and safety of childhood vaccines is proven and continues to save lives around the world. But like any other doctor, my life experiences have also had a profound impact on how I view the world around me.
I grew up in Fort Wayne, Ind., during the 1950s when the fear of polio gripped every suburban family. My father, a young surgeon, performed tracheotomies on six children stricken with polio to help them breathe — all in vain as each went on to die from paralysis. I remember my father afraid to come home from the hospital and afraid to hug us, wondering if he might be transporting death to his family.
I vividly remember lining up in the cafeteria with every other student, waiting for our sugar cube with its drop of polio vaccine. Informed consent was a cursory formality. Scientists and public health officials believed that the health of society as a whole trumped the individual’s rights. Right or wrong, the realization that a certain percentage of the herd needed to be vaccinated to protect everyone was a driving force behind public health policy.
Here are some URLs to medical data/articles which might be of use to you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First, USA.
USA 1900 - 1996
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/281/1/61 (http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/281/1/61)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
USA disease cases per 100,000 1912 - 2001
http://www.census.gov/statab/hist/HS-18.pdf (http://www.census.gov/statab/hist/HS-18.pdf)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Questionable Contribution of
Medical Measures to the
Decline of Mortality in the
United States in the Twentieth Century
http://lingli.ccer.edu.cn/he2007/readings/n03_product_1.pdf (http://lingli.ccer.edu.cn/he2007/readings/n03_product_1.pdf)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What is the evidence for a causal link between hygiene and infections?
http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/55441/1/Aiello%20A,%20What%20is%20the%20evidence%20for%20a %20causal%20link%20between%20hygien%20and%20infect ions,%202002.pdf (http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/55441/1/Aiello%20A,%20What%20is%20the%20evidence%20for%20a %20causal%20link%20between%20hygien%20and%20infect ions,%202002.pdf)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Series of graphs from Health Sentinel:
http://www.healthsentinel.com/graphs.php (http://www.healthsentinel.com/graphs.php)
Doctors reinforce this myth with ludicrous statements like this, from none other than Stanford University (http://stanmed.stanford.edu/2009spring/article4.html) . You'd think they'd know better, but I guess they are just as brain-washed as any other vaccine defender:
Nothing trumps vaccines for lives saved. To me, the science behind the need, efficacy and safety of childhood vaccines is proven and continues to save lives around the world. But like any other doctor, my life experiences have also had a profound impact on how I view the world around me.
I grew up in Fort Wayne, Ind., during the 1950s when the fear of polio gripped every suburban family. My father, a young surgeon, performed tracheotomies on six children stricken with polio to help them breathe — all in vain as each went on to die from paralysis. I remember my father afraid to come home from the hospital and afraid to hug us, wondering if he might be transporting death to his family.
I vividly remember lining up in the cafeteria with every other student, waiting for our sugar cube with its drop of polio vaccine. Informed consent was a cursory formality. Scientists and public health officials believed that the health of society as a whole trumped the individual’s rights. Right or wrong, the realization that a certain percentage of the herd needed to be vaccinated to protect everyone was a driving force behind public health policy.
Here are some URLs to medical data/articles which might be of use to you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First, USA.
USA 1900 - 1996
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/281/1/61 (http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/281/1/61)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
USA disease cases per 100,000 1912 - 2001
http://www.census.gov/statab/hist/HS-18.pdf (http://www.census.gov/statab/hist/HS-18.pdf)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Questionable Contribution of
Medical Measures to the
Decline of Mortality in the
United States in the Twentieth Century
http://lingli.ccer.edu.cn/he2007/readings/n03_product_1.pdf (http://lingli.ccer.edu.cn/he2007/readings/n03_product_1.pdf)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What is the evidence for a causal link between hygiene and infections?
http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/55441/1/Aiello%20A,%20What%20is%20the%20evidence%20for%20a %20causal%20link%20between%20hygien%20and%20infect ions,%202002.pdf (http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/55441/1/Aiello%20A,%20What%20is%20the%20evidence%20for%20a %20causal%20link%20between%20hygien%20and%20infect ions,%202002.pdf)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Series of graphs from Health Sentinel:
http://www.healthsentinel.com/graphs.php (http://www.healthsentinel.com/graphs.php)