Another Vaccine Rant

Both stories are mostly true. But one of these stories, indirectly hurt way more people than the other.





The truth is there are horrible stories that go with both vaccines and the diseases they protect against.  Guess what, we've done the research and far more horrible stories pop up when we don't vaccinate.  Ya it sucks, occasionally people ARE harmed by vaccines...but diseases ALWAYS harm people...ummm... that's why we call them diseases and not immune system calisthenics.

Which is more likely, hundreds of thousands of smart, well-intentioned doctors and scientists are in a giant conspiracy to make money and hurt people while doing it versus a few people are unusually and illogically polarized against something they don't fully understand (or understand at all).

Newbie Doc

Death, Taxes, and Ignorance

I remember when the last election came out and Palin went on a rant about "death panels". Honestly, I haven't read exactly what that specific piece of legislation entailed. I can't say whether it was wrong or right, because I didn't read it. But I know Palin has never stared down at a child that has spent the last year on a breathing machine with bedsores, infections, and eyes so consistently wide and dry they look more like prunes than eyes, if she had her pontifications would have been a little less polarized and "anti-death".

One thing I see time and time again is how poorly educated american politicians are about medicine, they are isolated from it. Whether it's the media clouding the picture or it's just laziness on the part of the politicians, they have no empathy or understanding for the less fortunate. It's sickening to watch a political debate on a major news channel about medicine, especially when no medical expert is involved, they throw statistics around that they have no comprehension of...some they actually had to have made up. My one piece of advise is that when medicine becomes a political debate again, as it always will, close your eyes and cover your ears. Go online and look up the stats, decide for yourself, understand the issues from objective sites, hell read wikipedia if you have to, but do not listen to what either side has to say about the issues in question, you'll be getting your opinion from someone little more educated on the matter than a picking a random man off the street.

Newbie Doc

Residency

Just FYI, if you have any love of your self image, medicine isn't the greatest for you. In one year of residency I've gained 20 pounds and people have gone from telling me I look Brad Pitt to telling me I look like Elton John...what a difference a year makes. Bubububu Benny and the Jettssss.

Elton John :/