Vaccinating Against Misinformation

March 24, 2013 by Roy Speckhardt

Continued from Page 1

When people like Jenny McCarthy try to convince us about the dangers of vaccines by relying on the lack of knowledge that many parents have about vaccinations, and occasionally by outright lying, it does a serious disservice to humanity. It's because some parents believe this misinformation that they incorrectly feel they are exposing their children to side effects, influencing them against vaccinating their kids. Such wrongly informed parents don't understand why others would complain about their personal opposition to vaccinations, not getting how their decision impacts everyone. They just don't recognize that when whole segments of the population refuse to vaccinate out of fear, all of society becomes more susceptible to deadly diseases.

Vaccines are a boon to humanity, but only if we fully take advantage of them. We can continue to eradicate diseases like smallpox through vaccinations, or we can choose pseudo-science and the deadly consequences that come along with it. This choice is one that all of society must make, which means that we have a responsibility to educate our friends, family, and neighbors about vaccines if we all want to enjoy the benefits.

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About Roy Speckhardt

Roy Speckhardt is the Executive Director of the American Humanist Association. He is also a board member of the organization providing Humanists leadership training, the Humanist Institute, and an advisory board member of Secular Student Alliance. Follow him at http://twitter.com/americnhumanist.

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