When antivaccinationists play on Mothering.com
http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2014/02/03/when-antivaccinationists-play-on-mothering-com/
Antivaccinationists irritate me, for reasons that should be obvious to regular readers. The reason is that vaccine-preventable diseases can kill. Contrary to the beliefs of many nonvaccinating parents, who downplay these diseases as being not particularly dangerous, they are dangerous. Of these, one of more dangerous vaccine-preventable diseases is pertussis. Thats why a story that popped up in my Facebook feed disturbed me so. Unsurprisingly, its on that other wretched hive of scum and quackery (with respect to vaccines), Mothering.com:
So, my almost ten month old started coughing and after a while, we suspected that it was whooping cough. When his cough suddenly changed from normal to not normal, we took him to our ped (which is pro-vax but isnt pushy about it.) and he gave him some antibiotics in hopes it would help the cough.
My boy handles it really well. He gets really red, but he breathes through it and immediately after hes like I want to play!
My husband is having a really hard time with this. REALLY HARD. The only thing he asked for our boy to get was pertussis because it is so scary! I resisted, since Im the one that did all the research and while I showed him he just deferred to me, even though I urged him to do his own research so exactly this issue wouldnt happen. We arent a team in it together anymore. Hes like we should have vaccinated him, I asked for just ONE shot out of all of them and then I reiterated the its a cocktail info and hes like then why do ALL of these doctors, all these highly educated people, think that they are beneficial? Is there some great conspiracy by ALL doctors?
This is child abuse, pure and simple. Because the mother mistakenly believes that vaccines are harmful and that pertussis isnt such a big deal, she didnt vaccinate, and the result is that her son is suffering. Clearly in denial of the severity of pertussis, she tells herself that hes handling it really well, but then describes how he gets really red and breathes through it. Those of you out there who have ever had a cough so severe that its hard to breathe know how terrifying it can be. Ive experienced it myself forthankfullybrief periods of time. Its terrifying. If its terrifying to an adult to have a cough so bad that he cant catch his breath, how much more terrifying is it to a ten month old child?
When the woo crackpot mom is saying "The only thing he asked for our boy to get was pertussis because it is so scary!", she's saying that the only vaccine that the father asked for, was the pertussis vaccine. That becomes clearer from her comments further into the article.
Woo crackpots strike again.
Sid