If your child is not vaccinated, they should be barred from attending public school

[Papewaio]

I thought the link to increased autism was likely to be increased age of parenthood, less children and more diagnosis.

Now that is a hypothesis and not a fact and if I was to make life or death decisions based on an untested idea then that would be wrong.

Not all ideas have equal merit. Nor do all ways of life have equal outcomes.

[Fisherking]

These are the kind of non-arguments we can safely ignore.

The link between autism and vaccination is non-existent, and any parent who believes so deserves a slap in the face and a vaccine shot in their kids. It is precisely because of idiotic arguments like these that I support mandatory vaccination of children.

Children should not be forced to face certain danger because of their parents irrational fears over non-existent threats.

It is not that simple and it is not proven. When the top agencies say “there’s probably no relationship between autism and vaccines”. That does not rise to the level of proof. There are also many other side effects that are known.

The MMR vaccine has been mostly cleared but there is also an issue with the chemical thimeroal which is a form of mercury suspected of causing autism. It has been removed from most but not all vaccines.

Researched will not unequivocally say there is no link, and that is understandable. Scientific method proceeds by constantly modifying theories rather than accumulating “proofs”. But some in the public will not see it that way.

I thought the link to increased autism was likely to be increased age of parenthood, less children and more diagnosis.

Now that is a hypothesis and not a fact and if I was to make life or death decisions based on an untested idea then that would be wrong.

Not all ideas have equal merit. Nor do all ways of life have equal outcomes.

That is all essentially true. But the part I still don’t agree with is that you would lock these people up and take their children as wards of the state because they don’t see things in the same light as you.

To me that seems terribly draconian without exhausting all other alternatives.

[Papewaio]

No I would simple exclude unvaccinated children from state run schools.

They can be home schooled, or form a user pays unvaccinated school.

[HoreTore]

It is not that simple and it is not proven.

Wrong.

It is that simple, and it is proven. There has never been found any link whatsoever between autism and vaccines, that was a complete lie from Andrew Wakefield.

There are known side effects to vaccines, but thy are minor and irrelevant. You might end up with a fever or a headache. An insignificant price to pay for something that will save your life. The MMR vaccine gives a serious allergic reaction in 1 of 1.000.000 injections. Contrast that with measles death rate of 2 in 1000.

The HPV vaccine has no side effects worse than a headache.

you would lock these people up and take their children as wards of the state because they don’t see things in the same light as you.

As I said at the start of this thread, it is a simple matter of handing custody temporarily to the state, inject the kids, then hand them back to the parents. Noone gets hurt and the child gets vaccinated.

[Sir Moody]

It is that simple, and it is proven. There has never been found any link whatsoever between autism and vaccines, that was a complete lie from Andrew Wakefield.

It wasn't just a lie - that understates it too much - it was Fraud.

Wakefield was attempting to bring down the combined Vaccine so he could sell a single vaccine which he had just patented (ie instead of one jab the kids would get 3 and Wakefield would profit from it).

This was all exposed decades ago - Wakefield was disbarred and it should have ended there - the fact that it is still is brought up shows just how much damage he did... all in the name of "profit"...

[a completely inoffensive name]

The MMR vaccine has been mostly cleared but there is also an issue with the chemical thimeroal which is a form of mercury suspected of causing autism. It has been removed from most but not all vaccines.

Well common sense would tell you that reducing the exposure of this potentially autism triggering chemical would at least produce a reduction in autism rates. And yet, we still seem to be in the midst of the autism "epidemic". Maybe chemistry is more complicated than mercury = bad.

[Papewaio]

I also believe the government should have a standard education credit that goes with each child and is applied regardless of school (public/private/independent/home).

Extra credits should be handled for poverty cases, but these should have two clauses.
(I) If you are living below the poverty line and are claiming government assistance then you would have to prove that your kids education is superior and that the child's future isn't being squandered. No proof required if you aren't asking for assistance, but I would suggest that community support such as a nurse checking the kids health at a minimum.
(II) Education aim is to create independent adults. Indoctrination to violent/cult mindsets should be minimized and certainly should not be government subsidized.

[Beskar]

I have to admit, I saw this the other day, and it clearly sends out the wrong message.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

It boils down to "Lets give those idiots a lethal an anti-'anti-vaccine' injection! Hurrah! One less idiot in the world". The moral of their story ends up being "They are idiots, so label something as a vaccine which is intended to kill them" ... I just find the whole idea preposterous and doesn't help in the slightest, considering the criticism is the concerns that a vaccine would do this to them.

[Beskar]

Now this comic is done better. It takes viewpoints of individual responsibility and show how it can be horribly abused.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[HopAlongBunny]

Science!? Who cares!
Its all about culture baby!

http://arstechnica.com/science/2014/...-ill-informed/