I just play one in Saving Silverman. My opinions are important for you to hear. That is all, non movie persons, return to your workbenches.

At least that is what an economist might call it. But however it is characterized, it's still dangerous and unfair. The problem is that the non-vaccinators don't understand how to interpret probabilities and statistics, and become obsessed with the very low risk connected to vaccinating. Non-vaccinators should not be allowed to send their kids to public places -- the risk to everyone else is just too high.

She could've chosen a word with fewer harsh connotations, but the characterization is essentially accurate.

The link between vaccinations and autism is statistically non-existent, and the theory is propagated by snake-oil salesmen who prey on desperate parents selling them bogus (and sometimes dangerous) "heavy-metal chelation" therapy with the promise of curing their autistic children.

Don't forget those parents are exposing their kids to the risk of uncontrolled infection.

I'm among the first to get annoyed at celebrities butting into everything and parading their knowledge and opinions about as though it's superior to ours. But that is a good letter. Very good. Logical and smart and all that. I'm more than a bit surprised actually. Perhaps I should give Amanda Peet movies another chance?? (or not...)

She should have called them idiots.

what Amanda Peet or any actress has to say about anything?

I agree with Amanda Peet and am glad to see her addressing this issue in definitive fashion. I respect that Jenny McCarthy is trying hard to take care of her child and to protect others, but I just think she is wrong on this issue. I have made an argument similar to Peet's on parenting discussion boards and sometimes received offended responses along the lines that each family must decide for itself. But that logic doesn't apply here. To take an extreme example, it would be like saying that each family must decide whether to teach their child that robbery is wrong. In the absence of clear contraindications for vaccination (and in some very small subset of children there may be valid ones), I believe it is socially irresponsible at best for anyone to decide against them. I say this as the father of a five-year-old who has mild autism which I do not believe was caused by vaccinations.

I would offer this answer to your question: Because she is apparently an intelligent human being who is making a logical, coherent argument on a difficult and important issue.

I had an allergic reaction to a vaccination years ago. Not interested in ever getting another one -- which has sometimes been an issue in my line of work. Vaccines may be great for most people, but they can cause major problems for some of us. Guess I should be banned from public life because I pose a health risk? Not sure how not being up to date on my vaccinations is a risk to anyone who has been properly vaccinated anyways.

The economic term, free riders, would be more appropriate.

I agree that most parents are making the wrong choices about vaccination, but that doesn't necessarily make them parasites. It only means they must be extra vigilant about exposing their children to diseases that could harm them or someone else, and many actually are that vigilant.

I vaccinated my first child, and gave my second her first set of baby shots. Her reaction was so severe that her doc said, "Let's not repeat that." We didn't. We had to be careful around other children, especially during the winter illness season, but despite the fact that we live in an impoverished area where both diphtheria and whooping cough are not particularly rare, she never contracted either and certainly never exposed anyone else.

There's really nothing irresponsible about that, let alone parasitic.

for a legitimate medical reason is not the issue she's addressing. The people she's calling to task are putting those of you (or your kids) who CANNOT be vaccinated at a much bigger risk. You are, in fact, the main reason why the majority of the rest of us should be vaccinated.

So I guess I'm not technically a parasite, or an idiot, or whatever other names are used on this thread. I did vaccinate my children. I vaccinated my first born until he developed life-threatening asthma at age two. I even gave him multiple mercury-containing flu shots, which then resulted in severe sensory issues. My mother, a nurse who administered vaccines in a refugee health clinic when I was growing up, actually advised me after witnessing my son's damaged immune system, to delay my second son's vaccines. I didn't listen. Now my son has autism. He's recovering, as is my older son, because of treatments that aim at undoing the damage done by their vaccines.

So no, I guess since I did dutifully vaccinate my children, I would not be considered a "parasite", but I applaud those parents who refuse to be intimidated by their pediatricians and do their own research about the benefits and risks of vaccines. I also applaud those parents who tirelessly work to make vaccines as safe as possible. I think we need to consider the fact that we are trading measles and chicken pox for lifelong neurodevelopmental disorders. And if you think there is no link between vaccines and autism, I suggest watching a recent interview on CBS Nightly News with Sharyl Attkisson and Dr. Bernardine Healy, former head of the NIH and American Red Cross. There is compelling science there for those willing to look beyond the headlines.

http://tinyurl.com/59wns7

Parents who refuse to vaccinate their children for non-medical reasons (such as allergic reaction) are taking advantage of the current norm, that most people vaccinate their children. As soon as that balance of vaccinators to non-vaccinators shifts even slightly, the chance for everyone to catch diseases increases dramatically. The prevention of an epidemic that could cost thousands or millions of lives should be considered our collective moral imperative, not a single parent's selfish desire to protect his or her child against a danger that has never been significantly demonstrated.