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Yorkshire Post (www.ypn.co.uk)
(09/12/02); Shaw, Vicki
A new resource for parents who are concerned
about the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is a Web site put together
by the Department of Health in Great Britain,
www.mmrthefacts.nhs.uk, that gives information about the immunization,
possible side-effects, and potential risks. The Web site also offers both
criticism and praise of the vaccine in order to allow parents to make an
informed choice about vaccinating their children. The site is a one-stop place
for parents to receive updated information about the vaccine, and it also allows
them to discuss concerns with and ask questions of a panel of experts. MMR
vaccination rates fell after a controversial report was released by Andrew
Wakefield in 1998 that linked MMR to autism, and fears were not calmed even
after most of the medical establishment assured the public that the MMR vaccine
is safe for children.
ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND
MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION
PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS
OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR
LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND
COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH
YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.
"A foolish faith in authority is the worst enemy of truth."
-- Albert Einstein, letter to a friend, 1901
"I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves, and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education."
-- Thomas Jefferson, letter to William C. Jarvis, September 28, 1820
"What's the point of vaccination if it doesn't protect you from the unvaccinated?"
-- Sandy Gottstein
"Who gets to decide what the greater good is and how many will be sacrificed to it?"