measles anti vaxxers

Anti-vaxxers continue to amaze and appall. Hence, today’s Los Angeles Times letters to the editor, because our voices matter:

It has been reported that Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey believes parents should have some choice about vaccinating their children and that Rep. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) believes vaccines should be voluntary. Both of these statements by presumptive would-be presidents promote fear mongering and help the anti-vaccination movement. The supposed connection between autism and the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine reported by disgraced British physician Andrew Wakefield in 1998 has been retracted and thoroughly debunked.

For 62 years I have taken care of children. I have seen kids with measles complications, including paralysis, deafness and death in the early years of my career. I don’t want to see these problems ever again. The MMR vaccine protects about 97% of those who receive it.

It is incumbent on public officials to speak based on the facts when commenting on medical policy. They should use credible and scientific sources of information. Children need to be protected from measles — and from politicians who speak as scientists.

Dr. Alvin Miller, Simi Valley

You wouldn’t dare to discuss partial differential equations with a mathematician unless you held a doctorate in that particular niche of math.

Few would question medical procedures performed by a brain surgeon or propulsion technology with a rocket scientist, unless you were an expert in the respective field. Even fewer would question a Grand Master’s move on the chess board, unless you were a ranked chess player yourself.

So why would the most uneducated and science challenged among us have the audacity to deny the validity of vaccination, climate change, evolution and other issues where science is firmly established?

And I’m not only talking about Republican members of Congress and GOP presidential hopefuls.

Jorg Aadahl, San Mateo