A cure for stupidity

A+cure+for+stupidity

Gage Gramlick, Staff Writer

The dangerous trend of opting not to vaccinate is plaguing the U.S. and other developed countries. These people call themselves anti-vaxxers, and they may be the biggest threat to public health since Hitler.

The anti-vaxxers believe that the MMR vaccine and other commonly administered vaccines cause autism. However, there is absolutely no medically proven connection between the MMR vaccine and autism. The danger the anti-vaxxers pose and their lack of evidence qualify this movement as a cult more than anything else.

In fact, the origin of this dangerous excuse for not getting poked in the arm started with a doctor getting paid by a pharmaceutical company to falsify his study and say that there is a connection between the disease and the cure. Yep, you read that correctly, the cause for the possible reintroduction of polio, tuberculosis, typhoid, etc. was a money obsessed quack. And, no, it was not Dr. Oz.

Worse, when five percent of a community fails to vaccinate, it jeopardizes everyone, regardless of whether or not they have been immunized. This phenomenon is known as herd immunity- a suiting name considering the similar intelligence quotients of cows and anti-vaxxers.

To further diminish the arguments of the anti-vaxxers, it is imperative to look at the situation from their perspective. Supposing there was a connection between the MMR vaccine and autism, there is not, the decision to not get vaccinated is still a poor one. If not vaccinated, you run the risk of dying. If vaccinated, in this completely made up, hypothetical world, you run the risk of having autism. Autism or death? Anti-vaxxers are choosing death, a drastic and offensive choice.

There is a solution to this certifiable crisis: mandatory vaccinations. The benefits of the U.S. being completely vaccinated are immense. It would boost herd immunity to a virtual 100 percent and help eradicate diseases. No one would die of the flu, ancient diseases would not being popping up in Utah and the world would live as one. Though it would be undoubtedly great, some aspects of life would still be unpleasant. You can vaccinate the anti-vaxxer, but there is no vaccination for stupidity.