When Fear of Science Becomes Dangerous

Many people believe that simply having a healthy diet is all that’s needed to guard against disease. Unfortunately, a healthy diet by itself and simply taking vitamin supplements, do not present any immunological challenges; therefore antibodies are not created. So, when a pathogen does enter the body, the immune system is not prepared, and the body becomes infected with disease. If people only focus on their diet and fitness but neglect their immune system, they can improve fitness levels and look well in shape doing so, but their immune system won't look very well prepared against potential infectious diseases.

Only believing in what you can see is just as irrational as only believing in things you can't. But, even bad logic is still logic. For example, a great deal of naturopathy practitioners and homeopathy proponents claim that they prefer a more natural method of protecting their children from illness and disease. The notion is that the chemicals in the vaccine are not "natural", therefore they are deemed as being “toxic” and foreign, which is dangerous because they are unnatural to the body. This is either a good example of a complete absence of scientific knowledge or an obvious perversion of science that can potentially endanger an entire community.

The human body is comprised of chemicals that are just like the one’s found in vaccines. But, all of these scary sounding ingredients are added for a very specific purpose.

Pathogens are the agents which produce disease. When the body is exposed to a pathogen, it irritates and the immune system into producing antibodies to fight off the pathogen and its ill effects. Vaccines simply simulate that process by emulating specific pathogens to generate the appropriate irritation in order to produce the proper antibodies for protection against the apparent future exposure to some infectious organism. Much like the muscles in our body, the immune system needs to be stimulated in order to grow and strengthen functionality. This sort of stimulation comes through in the form of these immune system challenges that provoke an immunological response.

How Intelligent Individuals Aquire Irrational Beliefs

Our society has taken a dangerous turn, an anti-science one. Information bombards us daily through various forms of media, such as television, internet websites, and through our daily conversations. Differentiating the useful information from the bad is a skill that is often neglected. By bringing attention to these types of logically fallacious pitfalls that misinterpret misinformation as truth, we can more effectively and efficiently encounter and address them.

Reported Pertussis Cases on the Rise: What Parents Need to Know

Back to school time has begun all across the nation, meaning that children will soon be in the ideal environment for spreading disease. Being in such close quarters around other kid’s has them sharing more than just toys. In some cases, kids share lunches, the same drinks, or even the things that another kid puts in their mouth.

There are sets of standard state vaccination requirements that must be met before enrolling children in school or day care. Parents can check the resources below for Arizona's back to school information about the vaccines required for child care and school attendance for the 2010-2011 school year. Despite these protective and proactive state requirements, cases of pertussis have been on the rise.

Many Americans don’t realize the most important role that immunization plays in our society because of the fact it’s so successful. Parents often rationalize not getting their child vaccinated, or delaying the vaccine, simply because of a lack in recent outbreaks. But, the notions that a lack of outbreaks is a direct result of more parents getting their children vaccinated, is a concept that is often neglected. Many people, even educated ones, are not only placing their children at risk, but the entire community they live in.

Vaccinating the Public from Psuedoscience: Community Immunity

Based upon modern medical science, the most efficient way to effectively protect the general public from disease is through vaccination. When it comes to facing the unknown, fear and uneasiness are natural reactions. Personal or core belief systems can have powerful influences over our perception. In some cases, decisions based from those personal belief systems can result in extremely emotional states, leaving some potentially susceptible to irrational decisions, such as parents not vaccinating their children because of some naturalistic fallacy. But, through methods and strategies, like those applied through IHS to the Native American/Alaskan Native people, we can get all the way through that gauntlet of logically fallacious, pseudoscientific terminology, that’s ultimately fueled by the fear of science. We can help educate our neighbors by providing the basic means for finding things out for themselves or simply quashing these modern myths whenever and wherever we encounter them. Maybe by helping enough parents to navigate through this information with sound scientific information and basic critical thinking, we can immunize enough belief systems from infectious pseudoscience to effectively produce the effects of herd immunity to the rest of the community.

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An Inquiry Into the Prejudice Against Skepticism

If you are a skeptic...
Do you as a minority encounter prejudice or racism in the community that you live in? Do you have a story of how your cultural background played a vital role or stood as an obstacle in front of your journey to skepticism? If so, what were some of hardships that you faced amongst your peers, family, or the community? To my fellow female skeptics, since there seems to be so few women in the skeptical movement, I would also like to hear from your perspectives as well. I would also accept the concept that as skeptics, we are in some sense a minority when compared to the rest of society. As skeptics, we all face the prejudices of non-skeptics. So, please feel free to share your thoughts or experiences of navigating through any of these themes.