Vaccinations: The Intelligent Choice?

As I mentioned in a previous post, I began blogging for Psychology Today earlier this month. My latest post there is “Vaccinations: The Intelligent Choice?”, which addresses some of the misconceptions and disinformation surrounding vaccine safety. I decided to write about this because the Washington State legislature is currently attempting to improve vaccination rates by requiring that parents receive better information before being allowed to opt out. (Personally, I think we still need to do more than this, but it’s a step in the right direction.)

Vaccinations are one of the major health achievements of the 20th century. Without them, our citizens would still be ravaged by smallpox, polio, tuberculosis and many other terrible diseases. The decision to try to educate people about the correct risks and benefits of immunization is a wise step in the right direction. Ultimately, the decision to vaccinate becomes not just a question of personal responsibility, but of social responsibility as well.

The post has been selected by Psychology Today for their “Essential Reads: Editor’s Picks” section, which of course, I was very happy to hear.

Addendum: The Seattle Times also recently invited me to be a guest columnist, publishing this article as a “Special to the Times”. (4/10/2011)