I’d like to summarize what I read here more pithily:
There are 4 types of complainers about the current CDC public health [and vaccine] regime.
1. The crazy and stupid big pharma cahoots conspiracy theory autistic people.
2. The quasi-educated quasi-rational folks who want more flexibilty in the quantity and scheduling of the less-serious vaccines
3. The people who purport to act in their own self interest at the expense of the herd.
4. The people annoyed with misleading CDC rhetoric, even if they understand their worthwhile goals.
“1” is what ruins the general credibility of anti-vaxxers. Being on the same side of an argument as logical sewage makes your argument smell. “2” could make occasional sense, sometimes, if done collaboratively with a thorough and knowledgeable physician or equivalent. “3” is selfish, and relies on others’ unselfish (and economically irrational) behavior to make your selfish behavior rational. Classic prisoner’s dilemma game theory idea. Relies on informational imbalances to work. “4” I relate to most. In the honorable quest of saving lives, truth becomes malleable to some and less important than behavioral results. I think truth is the highest of moral goals, think that dishonesty causes credibilty issues, and resent being a number and not being consulted on decisions that affect me.
Public health is complicated. I don’t profess to have the moral answers. Science observes well. What we do with the observations ought to be an individual decision if not for the fact that there are herd questions. And the idiots, of course. Now what? Reasonable opinions ought to be debated dispassionately. Autistic anti-vaxxers ought to quiet down and attend the special autistic school on a farm upstate somewhere. There they can catch autism from each other while bringing down big pharma. And I ought to go to sleep. Thus I end my rant.