I'm home-schooling my 15-yr-old stepson this year, and I'm finding it a particularly interesting challenge to teach biology to the son of a chiropractor. Apparently, immunizations are a chiropractic hotbutton, because I get a lengthy lecture from both son and mother, every time I get to anything that might give them a reason to expound on the Evil of Immunizations.

I have to say that I do have some misgivings about immunizations and all medications, and I think we should seriously ponder any decision we make to inject any substance into our bodies. My doctor (MD) thinks the same. That's one reason why I have a reasonable amount of trust in the medical profession. I've come to trust chiropractors only after marrying one - they do great things to control the aches and pains that are common to my age, but I'm not sure I have much trust in their judgment on non-orthopedic matters.

So, anyhow, the wife and her son use this book as their bible on the subject: The Sanctity of Human Blood: Vaccination I$ Not Immunization, Eighth Edition (2004), self-published by author Tim O'Shea (note the dollar sign in the title). It's the kind of book that I ordinarily wouldn't even bother to pick up, because it smells like factoid journalism to me - you know, the kind of stuff you get on talk shows...and Internet Forums [grin]. The following "teaser" information is printed on the back of the book:

Did you know? Infectious diseases were over 90% resolved by the time vaccines came onto the market? There are now 33 vaccines that are mandated by the time your child is 6 years old? And 40 by age 16? Before 1991, there was no system for reporting adverse side effects whatsoever? Only one country in Europe still has mandated DPT shots, whereas the U.S. requires 4 separate doses? 43% of Gulf War veterans experienced side effects to vaccines? 80,000 Gulf War vets have medical conditions as a result of vaccinations? ...that vaccination is not immunization? that Hepatitis B vaccine was outlawed in France after 15,000 citizens filed a class action suit against the government? that vaccines do not have to be proven safe or effective in order to be added to the list of mandated shots for American children? that the mercury in vaccines is dozens of times in excess of EPA safe levels?

All of these "facts" sound very convincing. They're all at least partially true, or true within certain qualifications - but they're used to paint a sordid smear of immunizations -and the medical profession- in general.

I've seen books like this before. My first experience was as a sophomore in high school, when a read a well-documented right-wing book called None Dare Call It Treason. It seemed to be a very factual accound of how all those Evil Liberals were leading the world to Communist Totalitarianism. Even at that age, I didn't believe the book, because I don't believe that people are so profoundly evil.

So, that's the situation. I can tell books like this by their smell. How do I convince my wife and son to take such sensationalist "information" with a grain of salt? What are the telltale signs of questionable journalism?

Or was I wrong to believe in vaccinations, bound to die tomorrow because of the vaccinations I received in the Army in 1970?

-Joe Offer-
(who feels very healthy)