Faking Religion to Avoid Immunization

[Kanastrous]

BOSTON - Sabrina Rahim doesn’t practice any particular faith, but she had no problem signing a letter declaring that because of her deeply held religious beliefs, her 4-year-old son should be exempt from the vaccinations required to enter preschool.

She is among a small but growing number of parents around the country who are claiming religious exemptions to avoid vaccinating their children when the real reason may be skepticism of the shots or concern they can cause other illnesses. Some of these parents say they are being forced to lie because of the way the vaccination laws are written in their states.

“It’s misleading,” Rahim admitted, but she said she fears that earlier vaccinations may be to blame for her son’s autism. “I find it very troubling, but for my son’s safety, I feel this is the only option we have.”

An Associated Press examination of states’ vaccination records and data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that many states are seeing increases in the rate of religious exemptions claimed for kindergartners.

“Do I think that religious exemptions have become the default? Absolutely,” said Dr. Paul Offit, head of infectious diseases at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia and one of the harshest critics of the anti-vaccine movement. He said the resistance to vaccines is “an irrational, fear-based decision.”

The number of exemptions is extremely small in percentage terms and represents just a few thousand of the 3.7 million children entering kindergarten in 2005, the most recent figure available.

But public health officials say it takes only a few people to cause an outbreak that can put large numbers of lives at risk.

“When you choose not to get a vaccine, you’re not just making a choice for yourself, you’re making a choice for the person sitting next to you,” said Dr. Lance Rodewald, director of the CDC’s Immunization Services Division.

All states have some requirement that youngsters be immunized against such childhood diseases as measles, mumps, chickenpox, diphtheria and whooping cough.

Twenty-eight states, including Florida, Massachusetts and New York, allow parents to opt out for medical or religious reasons only. Twenty other states, among them California, Pennsylvania, Texas and Ohio, also allow parents to cite personal or philosophical reasons. Mississippi and West Virginia allow exemptions for medical reasons only.

From 2003 to 2007, religious exemptions for kindergartners increased, in some cases doubled or tripled, in 20 of the 28 states that allow only medical or religious exemptions, the AP found. Religious exemptions decreased in three of these states — Nebraska, Wyoming, South Carolina — and were unchanged in five others.

The rate of exemption requests is also increasing.

For example, in Massachusetts, the rate of those seeking exemptions has more than doubled in the past decade — from 0.24 percent, or 210, in 1996 to 0.60 percent, or 474, in 2006.

In Florida, 1,249 children claimed religious exemptions in 2006, almost double the 661 who did so just four years earlier. That was an increase of 0.3 to 0.6 percent of the student population. Georgia, New Hampshire and Alabama saw their rates double in the past four years.

The numbers from the various states cannot be added up with accuracy. Some states used a sampling of students to gauge levels of vaccinations. Others surveyed all or nearly all students.

Fifteen of the 20 states that allow both religious and philosophical exemptions have seen increases in both, according to the AP’s findings.

While some parents — Christian Scientists and certain fundamentalists, for example — have genuine religious objections to medicine, it is clear that others are simply distrustful of shots.

Some parents say they are not convinced vaccinations help. Others fear the vaccinations themselves may make their children sick and even cause autism.

Even though government-funded studies have found no link between vaccines and autism, loosely organized groups of parents and even popular cultural figures such as radio host Don Imus have voiced concerns. Most of the furor on Internet message boards and Web sites has been about a mercury-based preservative once used in vaccines that some believe contributes to neurological disorders.

Unvaccinated children can spread diseases to others who have not gotten their shots or those for whom vaccinations provided less-than-complete protection.

In 1991, a religious group in Philadelphia that chose not to immunize its children touched off an outbreak of measles that claimed at least eight lives and sickened more than 700 people, mostly children.

And in 2005, an Indiana girl who had not been immunized picked up the measles virus at an orphanage in Romania and unknowingly brought it back to a church group. Within a month, the number of people infected had grown to 31 in what health officials said was the nation’s worst outbreak of the disease in a decade.

Rachel Magni, a 35-year-old stay-at-home mother in Newton, Mass., said she is afraid vaccines could harm her children and “overwhelm their bodies.” Even though she attends a Protestant church that allows vaccinations, Magni pursued a religious exemption so her 4-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son, who have never been vaccinated, could attend preschool.

“I felt that the risk of the vaccine was worse than the risk of the actual disease,” she said.

Barbara Loe Fisher, co-founder and president of the National Vaccine Information Center, one of the leading vaccine skeptic groups, said she discourages parents from pursuing religious exemptions unless they are genuine. Instead, Fisher said, parents should work to change the laws in their states.

“We counsel that if you do not live in a state that has a philosophical exemption, you still have to obey the law,” she said.

Even so, Fisher said, she empathizes with parents tempted to claim the religious exemption: “If a parent has a child who has had a deterioration after vaccination and the doctor says that’s just a coincidence, you have to keep vaccinating this child, what is the parent left with?”

Offit said he knows of no state that enforces any penalty for parents who falsely claim a religious exemption.

“I think that wouldn’t be worth it because that’s just such an emotional issue for people. Our country was founded on the notion of religious freedom,” he said.

In 2002, four Arkansas families challenged the state’s policy allowing religious exemptions only if a parent could prove membership in a recognized religion prohibiting vaccination. The court struck down the policy and the state began allowing both religious and philosophical exemptions.

Religious and medical exemptions, which had been climbing, plummeted, while the number of philosophical exemptions spiked.

In the first year alone, more parents applied for philosophical exemptions than religious and medical exemptions combined. From 2001 to 2004, the total number of students seeking exemptions in Arkansas more than doubled, from 529 to 1,145.

Dr. Janet Levitan, a pediatrician in Brookline, Mass., said she counsels patients who worry that vaccines could harm their children to pursue a religious exemption if that is their only option.

“I tell them if you don’t want to vaccinate for philosophical reasons and the state doesn’t allow that, then say it’s for religious reasons,” she said. “It says you have to state that vaccination conflicts with your religious belief. It doesn’t say you have to actually have that religious belief. So just state it.”


Article at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21347434/

[Aaron]

Well when they get polio they better not complain and look to medical science for a cure. Seriously though, these parents are willfully endangering the herd immunity. They should have their children taken away from them as their obviously not responsible enough to have them in the first place.

[Illuminatus Primus]

Because an unproven, possible, weak link to autism in utero or infancy is more dangerous than the lifetime risk of dying from deadly infectious disease and transmitting it to others? What an idiot. I knew a girl whose mom did this, I had to hold my tongue from saying that her mom was a complete moron.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

It's funny when people sign their own death warrants with their heads stuck in their ass. Paradoxically, it's almost as if they have a death wish....

[Aaron]

It's funny when people sign their own death warrants with their heads stuck in their ass. Paradoxically, it's almost as if they have a death wish....

If they were doing it to themselves I wouldn't give a shit save what their doing to society but their children don't get a say in the matter.

[Coop D'etat]

In a better world there wouldn't even be the religous exemption. We don't vaccinate on a lark, these viruses can kill people. Not to mention its an act of supreme selfishness to not take the small calculated risk of vaccination and therefore comprimising herd immunity but still be protected by the immunization of everyone else that did get take the risk of geting vaccinated.

[Turin]

While some parents — Christian Scientists and certain fundamentalists, for example — have genuine religious objections to medicine, it is clear that others are simply distrustful of shots.

Notice the idiotic unspoken assumption here that people opting out for "genuine" religious reasons is okay. Being simply distrustful of vaccination has at least a tenuous connection to reality -- as in we actually know that autism exists (or "allergies", or whatever the anti-vaccine people are claiming these day).

[Darth Ruinus]

While some parents — Christian Scientists and certain fundamentalists, for example — have genuine religious objections to medicine, it is clear that others are simply distrustful of shots.

Notice the idiotic unspoken assumption here that people opting out for "genuine" religious reasons is okay. Being simply distrustful of vaccination has at least a tenuous connection to reality -- as in we actually know that autism exists (or "allergies", or whatever the anti-vaccine people are claiming these day).

I think it means "geniune" as in, they truly do have a religious objection to getting the vaccinations, not that their beleifs have any truth to them.

But, why? I dont see why we dont just make these people get shots, and tell them "Well, your so big on religion, how about this? If you DONT protect your child with a vaccination, you are putting him at risk of some nasty disease, which amounts to evil, YOU WILL BURN IN HELL!!!"

Or just make them.

BTW, why isnt it that they ask the child wether or nor they actually beleive this. Isnt the parents deciding what the child beleives kinda wrong?

[Broomstick]

Because an unproven, possible, weak link to autism in utero or infancy is more dangerous than the lifetime risk of dying from deadly infectious disease and transmitting it to others?

Possible link?

All reputable studies so no link whatsoever. A very, very few children have medical conditions that truly make vaccination risky, but those are (as far as I know) strictly immune disorders or serious illnesses like cancer. You occasionally see allergic reactions, or similar adverse reactions, but there is NO, repeat NO connection between vaccines and autism

[Wyrm]

Here are the risks, for those folks so scared to death of autism they think MMR is a shot full of it:

Poliomyelitis - risk of paralysis and death.
Measles - leading cause of childhood mortality.
Mumps - risk of viral meningitis, including swelling of various important organs.
Rubella - unimmunized women risk their babies' getting congenital rubella syndrome.
Pertussis - mortality rate of somewhere between 1-0.5%.
Tetanus - paralysis of important muscle groups.

Autism - nonlethal and occurs rarely, even in vaccinated populations. And there is no evidence that vaccinated populations have a greater risk of autism than unvaccinated populations.

Really, all a vaccination does is stimulate normal biological immunity to the disease in question without the child actually contracting the disease. The data is already in: vaccinations save lives and relieve human suffering, more than making up for any suffering from a supposed link to autism.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

While some parents — Christian Scientists and certain fundamentalists, for example — have genuine religious objections to medicine, it is clear that others are simply distrustful of shots.

Notice the idiotic unspoken assumption here that people opting out for "genuine" religious reasons is okay. Being simply distrustful of vaccination has at least a tenuous connection to reality -- as in we actually know that autism exists (or "allergies", or whatever the anti-vaccine people are claiming these day).

Hmph. It's more like a politically correct way of saying that they are stupid.

[Jaepheth]

You also have assholes profiting off people's fears by selling books and movies filled with "evidence" that HIV, AIDS, Cancer, Autism, etc. are caused by vaccines. Usually as part of a conspiracy.

[General Zod]

Notice the idiotic unspoken assumption here that people opting out for "genuine" religious reasons is okay. Being simply distrustful of vaccination has at least a tenuous connection to reality -- as in we actually know that autism exists (or "allergies", or whatever the anti-vaccine people are claiming these day).

Being distrustful of a vaccination has absolutely zero bearing on reality if the vaccination in question is a proven treatment.

[Stark]

What's ironic is that while I'm both autistic and vaccinated, I also had serious illnesses as a kid. That is, serious if I wasn't immunised: I would have been killed by the measles for sure.

So I guess what parents are saying is they'd rather a dead kid to an autistic one. Fascinating.

[Superman]

Well, we'll know who to thank when these diseases return...

By the way, this is one area where I have no problem with government enforcement. The government has no problem when it comes to intervening in cases of child abuse (which this is, but that's another issue), but, in a case like this, they have to respect someone's retarded religion. I would argue that the government needs to declare that the potential harm is too great, so it's either vaccinate your damn kids or get them taken away. Fucking retards.

[Metatwaddle]

It seems like these people are simply misinformed. They're against the vaccines for secular reasons, not religious ones, and so they can probably - maybe - be swayed by good information if mainstream medicine can get the word out that vaccines are (gasp) good for you. It's the ones who have real religious reasons that worry me.

I don't know why religious exemptions are allowed in the first place. Being a responsible parent should come before any religious beliefs; if a parent said it was their religious right to physically harm their child, and did so, we'd throw them in jail and give the child to social services (unless the harm was cutting off part of their penis, which is obviously okay). Why is allowing your child to be harmed through inaction any different?

Why are religious exemptions granted in the first place? Who came up with that retarded idea - that you shouldn't have to protect your kid if it's against your religion to do so? There was controversy a few years ago about Amish families being able to exempt their kids from education. But this is far, far worse: these children aren't just being denied education, they're being denied basic health care. Kids have died for their parents' idiotic religious beliefs. It's all freedom-of-religion this, freedom-of-religion that. Well, how about we have a new law for these assholes and the politically correct cowards who know better but protect them because "it's what they believe": you don't get to let your kids die for your freedom to ascribe whatever qualities you want to your imaginary friend!

And people wonder why I rail against religion.

[Coriolis]

I really hate ignor-asses like this. They pick up some rumor or hearsay and treat it as fact. Then they have the gall to deny their children possibly life-saving vaccines only because it "might" give their children autism.

[Kanastrous]

Well, if you can buy wine-to-blood-and-bread-to-flesh, or divine orders emanating from flaming shrubbery, or ancient revelatory tablets buried in a Palmyra hillside (sorry, I lost them, but I copied everything down!) then it doesn't seem much of an additonal strecth to accept whatever rumor or hearsay makes you feel like you're smarter and more perceptive than those silly asses who get their kids vaccinated...

[PainRack]

Possible link?

All reputable studies so no link whatsoever. A very, very few children have medical conditions that truly make vaccination risky, but those are (as far as I know) strictly immune disorders or serious illnesses like cancer. You occasionally see allergic reactions, or similar adverse reactions, but there is NO, repeat NO connection between vaccines and autism

The most "common" problem nowadays will be an allergic reaction to eggs for IIRC the MMR vaccine....

[Edi]

The only exceptions to vaccinations should be medically based and if the religious and the ignorant fucknuts don't like it, too bad. They probably don't like paying taxes either, but they don't have the choice to opt out. Vaccinations should be treated exactly the same way.

[Norseman]

I don't usually come into the bearpit that is SLAM, but I'll make an exception in this case, since this is a pet peeve of mine.

You'll never, ever, be able to convince the Anti-Vaccine people that it's harmless, and it's actually far worse than you seem to think. The anti-Vaccine people are motivated by a group of parents with autistic children, and the quacks that try to sell them "cures".

These quacks try to claim that autism is due to mercury, and there is some organic mercury in vaccines; it's called thimerosal, and it helps preserve the vaccine. Their argument in favour of this is that before vaccines were common there were no cases of autism, and around the 1930s and 1940s some children got Pink Disease due to mercury in their toothing powders. Pink Disease has some superficial similarities to autism.

So you got quacks who've made a superficial connection between mercury and autism. Then you have upset parents who desperate want to blame someone for their childrens disease, and who want a cure. They join up, scream bloody murder about vaccine, and frighten other parents into rejecting vaccines.

That's not all though, just fighting vaccines wouldn't give the quacks any money, oh no, they offer "chelation therapy" and a dozen other humbugs that's supposed to remove the contamination.

So the autistic children get bullshit quackery, while being denied actual treatments and help that could help them cope with the real world, and hold down jobs (and yes, many autists are high functioning). Needless to say those autist rights organisations that have actual autists in the management, aren't happy about this.

I'm not going to talk about why the idea that thimerosal causes autism is bullshit, as most doctors have said. I'm going to show that it's bullshit to say that autism was a new development, suddenly brought on in the 20th Century by the use of mercury.

If you're interested in more you can read Mercury in Medicine by yours truly. It's fairly short and to the point.

[Lagmonster]

I don't think I should hold my breath waiting for someone to say they have a problem with forcing people to have their 'objections on religious grounds' screwballed into their asses, especially when it comes to the spread of disease.

[Justforfun000]

Following Norseman's link up above eventually led me to the debate on Thiomersal which is documented in Wikapedia. The article is flagged as possibly needing a neutrality check, but some interesting points do stand out.

In vivo tests: experiments on animal models show wide range of adverse effects

The scientific consensus is reflected in the another committee report commissioned by the CDC by the Institute of Medicine that follows up on the initial 2001 report. Since the 2001 report, the IOM committee took into account new data that had been published in the interim, including a number of large scale epidemiologic studies focusing on the relationship between thiomersal and autism in a number of countries including the US, Sweden, Denmark, and the UK.

The committee noted, in response to those who cite in vitro or animal models as evidence for the link between autism and thiomersal:

"However, the experiments showing effects of thimerosal on biochemical pathways in cell culture systems and showing abnormalities in the immune system or metal metabolism in people with autism are provocative; the autism research community should consider the appropriate composition of the autism research portfolio with some of these new findings in mind. However, these experiments do not provide evidence of a relationship between vaccines or thimerosal and autism. In the absence of experimental or human evidence that vaccination (either the MMR vaccine or the preservative thimerosal) affects metabolic, developmental, immune, or other physiological or molecular mechanisms that are causally related to the development of autism, the committee concludes that the hypotheses generated to date are theoretical only."[cite this quote]

Bold is mine. While their conclusions may be fair and accurate, if the studies show these abnormalities, then it's fair to say people at least have a right to be concerned about organic mercury.

They go on to say they are endeavoring to remove it from vaccines as a biological preventative based on theoretical plausibility. Wise idea if on that it will help shut up the conspiracy theory nuts.

[Norseman]

Bold is mine. While their conclusions may be fair and accurate, if the studies show these abnormalities, then it's fair to say people at least have a right to be concerned about organic mercury.

If you've studied my link you'll also realise that mercury was considered a panacea in the past, and administered to everyone. So if there was a connection you'd expect a much, much higher incidence of autism in the past. That doesn't appear to be the case...

They go on to say they are endeavoring to remove it from vaccines as a biological preventative based on theoretical plausibility. Wise idea if on that it will help shut up the conspiracy theory nuts.

On the contrary it will only make them scream louder, if they lose the mercury from vaccines they'll find it somewhere else. Hell maybe it's vapors in the atmosphere! Maybe it's in the water! Trust me, they WILL find another vector that mercury could have gotten into the children.

[Zixinus]

Personally, an alternative solution is that children that DON'T get vaccinated are directed to special schools for such children. Then we'll see this plummet.