Be A Grown-Up, Responsible Member of Society: Get H1N1 Vaccinated

I am so tired of the childish, selfish, crank-pot based reasons people give for not getting vaccinated.

I get that you don’t like needles.

I get that you don’t like that one to two day slightly icky feeling some of us get after getting the shot, and that you’d rather get really sick for two to five days instead.

I get that you don’t trust “Big Pharma”.

I get that you have questions – concerns. By all means, ask your questions but get your answers from the right sources.

But, HOLY FUCKIN’ SHIT, please get a clue about the shaky ground your decision is based on. And, more seriously, please, please please get a clue about how your decision to not vaccinate could impact the high-risk among us!

Anyone who does the research – using reputable sources of information (start with the World Health Organization) and not your friend’s blog – will quickly get answers to their questions. But there are those who are too lazy to research, and those who only seek out information that supports their conspiracy theory (google “confirmation bias”). Do they seek information from the scientific community that cured Polio and wiped out Smallpox? No, they trust other sources. Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with you?

By trusting non-credentialed sources, you are saying you don’t trust the VAST majority of medical scientists, doctors, local and state/provincial health agencies, national organizations (e.g. the CDC) and the World Health Organization – a United Nations agency. Do you really think all those people and organizations are that inept and/or corrupt? Are you seriously that paranoid?

Setting aside all this, I’d like to point out that YOU – yes YOU – are putting the welfare of others at risk.

H1N1 has been shown to be hard on children and women. THEY CAN DIE FROM THIS FLU.

So, let’s say you don’t get vaccinated and you get sick. And let’s say you get sick because you were not vaccinated. No big deal, right? After all, you won’t die.

No, you probably won’t die, but you will likely pass on the virus. And then it will be passed on by another dipshit like you, until it finally gets to a pregnant woman or a child who wasn’t vaccinated in time. Or maybe it gets to another high risk individual like my son who happens to be a Type 1 diabetic and who hasn’t been vaccinated because it’s not yet available in my community.

Statistically, someone among those groupings is going to get very, very sick and maybe even die. Maybe it will turn out to be your neighbour’s kid. Maybe it will turn out to be the pregnant woman you work with.

But, that invisible bug you may have passed along is out of sight out of mind, right? After all, you didn’t kill that person …did you?

No, you only played your part.

—-

For a less emotional response to your H1N1 questions, I strongly recommend Science Based Medicine.

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October 22, 2009 · Filed Under stuff

Comments

12 Responses to “Be A Grown-Up, Responsible Member of Society: Get H1N1 Vaccinated”

  1. Julie on October 22nd, 2009 at 2:01 pm

    Very nice rant, and I’m in agreement! :-)

  2. BoggledMind on October 22nd, 2009 at 7:36 pm

    Agreed!

  3. Mike on October 23rd, 2009 at 1:33 am

    Now if only Bill Maher would take your advice…

  4. reasonablehank on October 23rd, 2009 at 8:20 am

    I love reasonable rants. They’re reasonable.

  5. Renshia on October 23rd, 2009 at 10:26 am

    Hmmmm………….

  6. Beverly on October 26th, 2009 at 12:10 am

    As you know, my son is also Type 1 diabetic — but I am not getting our family immunized, because I firmly believe that my God will protect our family from all evil, because we are believers.  And we tithe.

    ……….

    You KNOW I’m kidding ’bout the immunization, right??  I just thought I’d make you spit coffee on your monitor, or something.  See, even an atheist and a Christian can laugh at the same joke, and everyone needs a laugh on a Monday a.m.  …. :)   

    I cannot wait to get our family immunized tomorrow, and Mark, I couldn’t agree with your points here more.  I wholeheartedly am tired of everyone’s conspiracy theory on this immunization issue …  99% of the time, you’re not doing it for yourself.  Your doing it for others.  Novel idea, really.

  7. 40 Year Old Atheist on October 26th, 2009 at 9:21 am

    Bev, you really had me going! I’m glad you’re going to vaccinate. It’s the right thing to do. :)

  8. Jill on November 28th, 2009 at 11:56 am

    “Anyone who does the research – using reputable sources of information (start with the World Health Organization) and not your friend’s blog”
    Please dig into the history of the WHO. Follow the money, look at their track record as closely as you have the “church”.
    I think our medical system has made great strides in emergency medicine, preventing illness and treating some diseases, but with just a little bit of research it is easy to see through the smoke screen about vaccinations, especially for the flu.
    As an atheist I have been shocked by how many “skeptics” loose the reasoning skills they used to debunk religion when it comes to our medical system. I wish as a group we put half the energy and thought into following the trails of the WHO and pharmaceutical companies that we put into researching the trails of churches.
    Below is a link to a  series of 6 videos, made by a nun/doctor talking about the events leading up to this “pandemic” she sites her sources and makes clear that all she is doing is stating the facts so that we can all make informed decisions and that no one should panic. I would love it if you would watch the videos, check her facts and let me know what if anything has peaked your interest and what trail you followed from there.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOJqQylO9zQ&feature=related if the link doesn’t work  (I couldn’t get it to paste for some reason) do a youtube search for “bell tolling for swine flu”.
    By the way, I enjoy your blog. Thanks for writing it.

  9. 40 Year Old Atheist on November 28th, 2009 at 12:08 pm

    Hi Jill,

    Thanks for stopping by. I’d be happy to take a look at your video. However, the link appears to be dead.

  10. Jill on November 28th, 2009 at 2:22 pm

    I had to type it in and figured I probably didn’t get it right. Did you try doing  a youtube search for “Bell tolling for swine flu”? That is the title for the videos.
    It isn’t mine, it is something that has gone viral. I like that it is facts and events, not speculation and conjecture.  I look forward to your thoughts once you have a chance to check it out.
     

  11. Jill on November 28th, 2009 at 2:25 pm

    Oh, it is long 6 videos. So get some popcorn!

  12. Samuel Kenyon on February 25th, 2010 at 2:28 pm

    I wanted to get it last fall, but I had to wait until last month to get my H1N1 vaccination.
    What’s really sad–if it’s true–is the reduction of children getting basic immunizations against deadly diseases because the parents are afraid of vaccines.
     

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