“For they have sown the wind and they shall shall reap the whirlwind” – Hosea 8:7
Nothing like an Old Testament quotation to brighten the day…And it kinda applies in this case to those who prey upon the insecurities of new parents. Those who use the vaccine resistance movement for personal gain and publicity. The people who use this opportunity to profit directly by selling snake oil, nostrums and empty promises to the vulnerable.
So, to tie it all together here’s one more science lesson. It will be short, I promise.
Vaccinations have encountered resistance in the past but the worst thing earlier critics feared was growing cow parts. And none of the cool cow parts, either.
But even the most wack critics back then never imagined any vaccine would cause neural-atypical conditions like autism.
Along comes the MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine to kick off the current version of the anti-vaccination crusade.
Meet Rubella, the “R” in the MMR vaccine. Also known to older folk as German measles, Rubella is a comparatively mild virus. It does have the same rash as measles but without the potential side effects like encephalitis or death.
Rubella is just a rash. And a wee bit of a fever and a wee bit of malaise – aka feeling crappy.
If it occurs in childhood, that is. Reach adulthood without acquiring natural immunity (i.e. getting Rubella) or vaccinated immunity it becomes a dark cloud on the horizon.
Prior to joining the happy family of vaccine preventable diseases, Rubella was also the ‘R’ in CRS: Congenital Rubella Syndrome. CRS was the driving force behind finding a working Rubella vaccine because it affects pregnant women in their first trimester.
There is a whole long list of nasty things CRS will cause, depending on the stage of fetal development at the time the virus sets to work. Blindness, deafness, and heart abnormalities top the list. If the brain and nervous system are under construction at the time of infection, CRS is one of the few known causes of autism.
I’ll let that sink in.
The MMR vaccine does not cause autism but Rubella does. 100% vaccine preventable Rubella.
Time for some math, the current antivaxx movement really got fired up with the Wakefield study over 20 years ago. That means there is a generation of vaccine free young men and women knocking at the door of the recreational sex playroom.
We all remember what it was like to be the first generation ever to discover sex. Every generation is the first, even our grand parents and parents but, ewww, let’s not think about that.
This new generation of young adults, raised GMO and vaccine free, aren’t going to be in any rush to the altar but the biological imperative is an old hand at thwarting the best of best laid plans. So to speak.
Which means one last trip to maybe France or Italy or New York or Disneyland before baby comes along. All popular holiday spots where Measles and Rubella are making a big comeback. Or they might cross paths in the airport with travelers from, say, Ukraine, Yemen, Philippines or India where Measles and Rubella are safe from any vaccination program.
Side note: measles virus remains viable in a room (like an airport boarding lounge or the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland) up to 2 hours after an infectious person has left. Rubella is less hardy. It is viable only up to an hour after being sneezed out by a person in the contagious stage. Like measles, Rubella is contagious up to a week before any symptoms appear.
So, the ultimate effect of popular vaccine avoidance will be an increase in severe congenital birth defects as well as a rise in fetal and neo-natal death rates. Rate increases that haven’t been seen in North America and Europe since widespread acceptance of vaccination programs.
You know, way back when we believed in science based medicine.
Maybe, prior to closing up shop and leaving town, our friendly neighborhood naturopaths can put together some honeymoon specials of immune boosters or ‘green vaccines’.
One thing is for sure, these alternate practitioners won’t accept any responsibility. They certainly won’t admit to pushing flim flam or snake oil for personal profit. Nope, they will place all blame on either maternal failure to use the correct nostrum or a government conspiracy to punish true believers, the pure of heart and low self esteem.
Then they will pack up their carnival side show and leave town before the wind storm sets in.
