By Matt Underwood Rejecting Decades of Science, Vaccine Panel Chair Says Polio and Other Shots Should Be Optional. This whole situation is just mind-boggling, isn’t it? My folks, they were around when the polio vaccine first came out. They remember the fear, the worry, and the relief when that shot became available. They witnessed firsthand how devastating polio was, and the joy when it was finally beaten back. It’s almost impossible to fathom that we’re even having this conversation now.
The GOP’s full-on assault on science and medicine feels like something out of a bad dystopian novel. We’re talking about going back to a time when pools were shut down during outbreaks. A time when children were in leg braces or were living in iron lungs. These aren’t just “kitchen table” issues, these are matters of public health, child mortality, and the very fabric of our society. The potential consequences are devastating, and it seems like some people are just okay with that.
The idea that a person’s right to reject a vaccine supersedes the risk to others is a dangerous and frankly, selfish notion. Public health is about the collective good. It’s about protecting everyone, especially the most vulnerable members of our society. Once your choices start affecting others, particularly on a massive scale, your individual rights have to be balanced with the greater needs of the community. It’s not a matter of choice when it impacts the health of a whole population, potentially leading to new generations of children that will have to fight to survive just because of some people’s “freedom”.
I cannot comprehend what is real anymore when I see what is happening in the world. It’s insane that we are even considering allowing a resurgence of polio and other preventable diseases. The thought of bringing back the iron lung, a device that represents such suffering and limitation, is just a tragedy. Yet here we are. This feels less like ignorance and more like willful negligence and apathy.
There is a disturbing disconnect between those making these decisions and the realities of these diseases. The fact that the chair of a vaccine panel would even consider making these life-saving measures optional is, frankly, shocking. It’s a rejection of decades of scientific progress, countless lives saved, and the fundamental principles of public health. This kind of rhetoric isn’t just misguided; it’s actively harmful.
The argument that vaccine mandates are some kind of infringement on individual rights completely ignores the fact that we’re talking about diseases that can spread and affect entire communities. If one person’s choice to remain unvaccinated puts others at risk, then that choice has societal implications. We are talking about having to watch children wear leg braces again, or be permanently paralyzed. It makes you realize how fragile our society has become and that we are willing to risk these things.
The irony is thick. The people pushing for this have a lot of their own freedom. The majority of these people are vaccinated. They also refuse to see that vaccination mandates have actually *saved* lives. The fact that any medical professional would even entertain the idea of making these vaccines optional is frankly dangerous. It’s a betrayal of the oath they took to protect the health and well-being of their patients and the people they serve.
I have come to this conclusion based on everything that has come before. This is an all-out assault on the very foundation of public health. We are talking about a disease that we have beaten, that we have effectively eradicated in most of the world. Now, we are considering giving this up because of a perceived threat to “freedom”, but only at the expense of others.
The repercussions of this are already beginning to show. The recent polio case in New York is a stark reminder of what could happen if we let our guard down. That one case, in a community with low vaccination rates, is a clear warning that these diseases are still out there, waiting for an opportunity to strike. The situation shows how quickly a disease can spread if we are not all protected.
I am not sure what is happening. Where is the education that has gotten us through the last century? Where is the common sense? Where is the care for the well-being of others? The consequences of demonizing expertise and education for decades will be difficult to fix. The irony of all of this, is that the anti-vaxxers and the people with this agenda are probably vaccinated themselves. This is a very real problem. It’s a disgrace.