Back in 2009 I told the story of one of my little llamas and his reaction to the pertussis vaccine.  That’s the one that stops the whooping-cough
It was pretty horrific, but it wouldn’t stop me from having my other llama’s vaccinated. Â Clearly his reaction to pertussis wasn’t something we as responsible parents wanted to inflict upon him again, but what we needed was for other people to vaccinate. Â Without that, the little llama runs the risk of getting whooping-cough from some other kid who hasn’t been vaccinated .
Imagine my surprise when reading about the Australian Vaccination Network. Â This is what they have to say on their front page:
We believe it is a parent’s right to choose what’s best for their child…some would say that this is one of the most basic rules of any civilised society. Yet governments all over the world have abridged or denied the right to free choice when it comes to vaccinations, vaccines and immunisations. The Australian Vaccination Network is working to help parents take back that right to free and informed choice by allowing them to see the less publicised side of this important issue before making a decision.
Sure, it’s a parent’s right to choose what’s best. Â However, it must be acknowledged that as a society we have obligations that we expect all members of that society to play by. Â We call them laws. Â Road laws is a good example. Â If you are from one of the majority of places that drives on the right side of the road, coming to Australia, we have a rule that says you have to keep left. Â It makes sense and the law is there for everyone’s protection. Â To ignore it is a folly. Â Sure you have a right to choose, but the rest of society will either stop you or make you comply. Â It’s really simple, we have to do things that protect society as a whole, and sometimes that means everyone has to play along despite their personal beliefs.
The whole reason disease and sickness have been largely removed from our Australian society is because people vaccinate.  It’s an important responsibility living in such an egalitarian society.
To suggest that people should now have the choice is irresponsible and just plain foolish.
The people behind the AVN have been discredited many times, and yet they still get their misinformation out there. Â Essentially they are saying that their individual rights trump those of the rest of society. Â Meanwhile, they’ll expect the government to provide the support structures to look after the sick kids. Â Those same kids could have been greatly helped by proper vaccinations.
I don’t want to see the resurgence of measles, mumps, rubella, whooping-cough and polio.
Congratulations to those who work behind the scenes at Stop the Australian Vaccination Network, they deserve your support!
For more information about the fight to discredit the AVN check out this summary.