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Let me start off by saying that I am VERY pro-vax. However, as much as I loved reading Kristen Bell's new op-Ed in Huffington Post, it made me wonder if anyone will actually be swayed by this type of article. Do you feel celebrities should be giving parenting advice? I feel as though people should be persuaded by their pediatrician, family medicine doctor, or the smart scientists over at the CDC- not a pretty face in Hollywood. Idk. Maybe I am over-analyzing. It just seemed very "Jenny McCarthy" to me. It's not okay to get your medical advice from a pretty blonde when she is anti-vax but it's okay if she is pro-vax? Seems like a double standard. I wish celebrities would just defer these types of conversations to medical professionals.
My 2 cents:
I could relate to much of what was written in this piece (especially when I was a first time mom), and I appreciate her style of writing. I do think those that are already pro-vax will enjoy it. However if someone is on the fence then I don't think this would sway them.
Btw I initially posted this by accident in the adoption section of this forum-whoops! Any idea how to delete that post?
JUST what we need. Medical opinions turned into fashion trends.
Celebrity advocacy for medical topics goes back a long way, especially with regard to research fundraising, The Danny Thomas family and St. Jude Hospital and Jerry Lewis and the Muscular Dystrophy Association coming to mind.
I would view any comments by a celebrity in the context of the sources used to arrive at the opinion expressed. McCarthy hitched her wagon to a fraud. Bell did her research using facts backed by scientific evidence.
I do not share her reservations about the FDA and the CDC. With regard to vaccines, the mistrust of those organizations is based on the anti-vax community's attempts to manufacture controversy where there is none.
Celebrities should keep their mouths shut with respect to social, political and religious topics; the country would be better off if celebrities practiced their respective craft only, not get involved in the lives of others.
This is NOT a debate forum to debate vaccines and whether or not the cause autism. So you can go over to the politics forum if you care to discuss that. By the way, it's been proven that vaccines do NOT cause autism. Please stop promoting disease by encouraging people to no be vaccinated based on false pretenses. This isn't 1998. Wakefield lied. Please do some sound research
Well, you got into the politics of it too, in your previous post:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Newenglander0000
While I am all for mandatory vaccination in schools, and I truly believe that parents should vaccinate their children, I do feel there is a slippery slope when we start holding people accountable for the spread of disease. What if a vaccinated child were to contract a disease and said vaccinated child spreads it to someone else. Can you then sue the vaccinated person? Or does it only become an issue when an unvaccinated person spreads disease? Furthermore, I think a huge problem as to why we have disease outbreaks is because people do not stay home when they are sick. For example I see adults constantly going out in public and going to work while sick. My cousin was just saying the other day how she has the flu and has been at work all week. Some diseases are contagious before you even know you have symptoms. Obviously those we cannot avoid spreading because we simply may not know we're sick. However if you're sick you should stay home. People should wear masks if they have to go out in public. By going out in public while sick I am referring to going to *essential* places such as the doctors office or the pharmacy to pick up medication or a grocery store to pick up food. There's no need to send a sick child to storytime at the library or to the movies. Yet I see it all the time. It is so frustrating and is truly why we have so much spread of disease nowadays. People are careless and selfish, regardless of whether or not they vaccinate. But, you should still vaccinate yourself and your children
No laws are being passed or even condsidered that hold pepole accountable for the spread of disease; and there is nothing in this article that implies Kristen Bell advocates for that. Many diseases make people contagious before they even know they're sick.
I believe that certain vaccines cause autism. So I welcome anyone that tries to protect innocent children from them.
I believe that the sun orbits the earth and the moon is actually made of cheese. I also know for certain that my beliefs have the same solid basis in fact and science as your belief in vaccines causing autism
On topic, celebrities can do and say whatever they please in a free society. Unfortunately there is a large segment of our society that will ascribe greater validity to any non sense uttered by even a fringe celebrity with a pea brain like Jenny McCarthy...
I am happy for the sake of this same segment of people when a "celebrity" actually provides a truthful message on the importance of vaccines since they are likely to follow the advice even if it is only because another celebrity with no scientific background uttered the "right" message..
Well, you got into the politics of it too, in your previous post:
No laws are being passed or even condsidered that hold pepole accountable for the spread of disease; and there is nothing in this article that implies Kristen Bell advocates for that. Many diseases make people contagious before they even know they're sick.
I never said such laws were being implemented. I was clearly responding to the person that made a comment along those lines by phonelady61. Would link to her comment but I'm on my phone.
I never said Kristen Bell discusses this. Again, I was responding to someone's comment. In my reply I specify that some illnesses make people contagious prior to them knowing they are sick
I believe that certain vaccines cause autism. So I welcome anyone that tries to protect innocent children from them.
I can tell you that I believe in the tooth fairy. It doesn't make it accurate. A large number of scientific studies refute a link between vaccination and autism.
Celebrities certainly have a right to their opinion but I do worry when fans will take what they say as the absolute truth without doing research for themselves. I also get a bit of a chuckle from diet tips, workout tips, parenting tips, beauty tips when they have so many more resources than the average Joe. Overall I kinda take things with a grain of salt.
Listening to advice from celebrities is not really "logically" worse than getting it from random anonymous nobodies on internet forums.
True, but I think there is a stigma associated with getting advice on forums vs listening to a celebrity (largely due to their agent's ability to market him/her as credible, and often due to the "legitimacy" of products they endorse). I know that personally I triple check all info given in forums when asking for advice. I know many people assume that companies verify the accuracy and legitimacy of claims/viewpoints made by celebs. So there tends to be a societal notion that celeb commentary is credible
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