Chris Christie supports a "balanced" approach to vaccination

[Deus Naturae]

BALANCE!!! IN HEALTH POLICY111!?!

If they had the power, I'm convinced this forum would be putting parents in jail for not giving 4 year olds their monthly mammograms.

Yes, I agree, it is truly disgusting how extreme some posters are on this forum in their opposition to child abuse.

If you genuinely believe that a kid is better off being taken from their parents and raised by someone else than missing a measles vaccination, then you're just an idiot. That itself would constitute child abuse.

[RedPrometheus]

What the hell is going on? This is absurd and genuinely dangerous.

"Absurd and genuinely dangerous" is a good description of the Republican party.

I'm always amazed by the new levels of craziness Republicans are able to achieve.

[Likely Voter]

The interesting thing here is how badly Christie handles this. First he tries the pander to the anti-government types, then quickly backtracks. For someone who is supposed to be a 'straight talker' this is amateurish.

[RogueBeaver]

Rand goes the full Bachmann: vaccines can lead to mental disorders.

In 2008, Hillary, Obama and McCain all pandered to the antivaxxers.

[Mr. Morden]

Rand goes the full Bachmann: vaccines can lead to mental disorders.

Yeah, Paul's comments are a lot worse than Christie's, in that he actually says that vaccines can lead to mental disorders, while Christie uses the "figure it out for yourself" dodge.

[RogueBeaver]

He also melted down in that same interview, shushed the anchor and told her to calm down.

[Maxwell]

I'm not a libertarian anymore, I guess, because vaccines should not be an issue. The choice to not take a vaccine so obviously hurts the population as a whole, even if there was a chance that people can become autistic, which has been proven again and again to be untrue. "freedom" of choice doesn't apply here.

[Mr. Morden]

In any case, someone needs to ask Clinton if she also still gives any credence to anti-vaxxer nuttery, as she appeared to in 2008:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/02/2016-candidates-child-vaccinations_n_6598186.html

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

I'm not a libertarian anymore, I guess, because vaccines should not be an issue. The choice to not take a vaccine so obviously hurts the population as a whole, even if there was a chance that people can become autistic, which has been proven again and again to be untrue. "freedom" of choice doesn't apply here.

[Likely Voter]

Every state in the US requires kids to get vaccinated to go to school. The Supreme Court has weighed in on this as early as 1905 saying the state has the right to compel vaccinations. The fact that this fringe issue is working its way into presidential politics is kind of amazing. Maybe this is proof that the economy is really fading as the over-riding issue.

[Mr. Morden]

Christie backtracks/clarifies in a new statement:

http://reason.com/blog/2015/02/02/gov-chris-christie-backs-off-his-medical

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

That's gibberish. States Rights over vaccination? Laughable.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Christie backtracks/clarifies in a new statement:

http://reason.com/blog/2015/02/02/gov-chris-christie-backs-off-his-medical

You must be logged in to read this quote.

So, Christie, which vaccines should the federal government 'leave up to the states'? Polio? Whooping Cough? I'm not exactly sure you want any state run by 'very conservative' people (OK, KS, MS, AZ, etc.) to suddenly drop dead. You're just digging yourself into an even bigger hole than the one you're already in.

[Likely Voter]

Well this already is a states issue. The Federal government doesn't have any vaccine requirements. The FDA regulates it, but this is a state issue.
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/imz-managers/laws/state-reqs.html

Every state, even MS, requires vaccines:
http://www.msdh.state.ms.us/msdhsite/_static/41,0,71,303.html

as does Rand Paul's KY:
http://chfs.ky.gov/dph/epi/School+and+Childcare.htm


Most of these laws were written decades ago. Are we actually going to see some GOPers suggest the Federal Gov should get involved, or even that some of these states should repeal these laws?

[Averroës Nix]

Both Obama and Clinton had interesting comments on the purported link between vaccines and autism in 2008 in Morden's HP link:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

My guess is that Lancet's 2011 retraction of Wakefield's study has had a marked effect on the public debate on this subject. The Wakefield study was the last shred of evidence that allowed any credible public figure to claim that the relevant science was, as Obama put it at the time, "inconclusive."

At this point, pandering is the only rationale for playing up a "balanced" approach to vaccinations. Whether the issue persists (like the denial of anthropogenic global warming) or only clings to life as a fringe conspiracy theory (like opposition to water fluoridation) depends on the size and influence of the anti-vax crowd.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Well this already is a states issue. The Federal government doesn't have any vaccine requirements. The FDA regulates it, but this is a state issue.
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/imz-managers/laws/state-reqs.html

Every state, even MS, requires vaccines:
http://www.msdh.state.ms.us/msdhsite/_static/41,0,71,303.html

as does Rand Paul's KY:
http://chfs.ky.gov/dph/epi/School+and+Childcare.htm


Most of these laws were written decades ago. Are we actually going to see some GOPers suggest the Federal Gov should get involved, or even that some of these states should repeal these laws?

Yes, every state requires some vaccines for daycare/school. The question is which vaccines, and with what kind of exemptions. That varies widely.

[Mr. Morden]

At this point, pandering is the only rationale for playing up a "balanced" approach to vaccinations.

It's not clear to me that Christie was attempting to pander in this case.  The reporter brought up the topic, not him, and it sounds like it might just be a topic that he was clueless about, so he tried to answer with whatever BS he could think of, then had to walk it back later after he talked to his aides.

[Likely Voter]

Well this already is a states issue. The Federal government doesn't have any vaccine requirements. The FDA regulates it, but this is a state issue.
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/imz-managers/laws/state-reqs.html

Every state, even MS, requires vaccines:
http://www.msdh.state.ms.us/msdhsite/_static/41,0,71,303.html

as does Rand Paul's KY:
http://chfs.ky.gov/dph/epi/School+and+Childcare.htm


Most of these laws were written decades ago. Are we actually going to see some GOPers suggest the Federal Gov should get involved, or even that some of these states should repeal these laws?

Yes, every state requires some vaccines for daycare/school. The question is which vaccines, and with what kind of exemptions. That varies widely.

The issue at hand is about the Measles. Every state requires measles vaccine and has done so for decades. I don't believe there is any credible medical debate over these laws. I haven't seen any reports about any state legislatures debating these laws.

This is a crazy fringe thing that no leader should lend credence to, especially now that there is a new outbreak of measles due in part to irresponsible parents

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

People are not just talking about measles vaccines. Political figures are being asked and are making comments of vaccines in general, and all the different issues that go along with that. We don't live in a compartmentalized media environment.

[Likely Voter]

Not sure what 'people' you are talking about, but this forum is about the 2016 presidential election and two of the potential candidates today (Christie and Paul) were asked specifically about vaccines for measles and both of them spouted dangerous nonsense pandering to a small group of anti-government loons.

I can't believe this is even being discussed. This is an issue that was debated and settled a century ago.

I agree (can't believe I'm saying this) with Dr. Ben Carson:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

This is the comment that got so much of this forum upset in the first place:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Likely Voter]

This is the comment that got so much of this forum upset in the first place:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

The issue du jour is the measles and Christie's amateurish pandering is what kicked up the stir and why he had to quickly clarify his remarks, as noted by the WaPo:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Not really sure what you are arguing. He was asked about measles, said something stupid, then walked it back. Then Rand Paul said something even more stupid.

I just hope that this doesn't become political and especially doesn't become a left/right thing. It would be frightening if we had mandatory vs voluntary immunizing states like we do with union v 'right to work' or Medicaid Expansion vs no Medicaid Expansion.

[Maxwell]

Not sure what 'people' you are talking about, but this forum is about the 2016 presidential election and two of the potential candidates today (Christie and Paul) were asked specifically about vaccines for measles and both of them spouted dangerous nonsense pandering to a small group of anti-government loons.

I can't believe this is even being discussed. This is an issue that was debated and settled a century ago.

I agree (can't believe I'm saying this) with Dr. Ben Carson:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Well Ben Carson IS a doctor.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

This is the comment that got so much of this forum upset in the first place:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

The issue du jour is the measles and Christie's amateurish pandering is what kicked up the stir and why he had to quickly clarify his remarks, as noted by the WaPo:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Not really sure what you are arguing. He was asked about measles

What was the question he was asked?  All I see quoted anywhere is his response, in which he clearly is not talking specifically about measles.  It's silly to criticize someone for pandering without paying any attention to what they actually said.

[Likely Voter]

He was asked "do you think Americans should vaccinate your kids? Is the measles vaccine safe?"

It wasn't a trick question. As I noted before his state mandates many vaccines including measles. Unless he is ready to call for review of that policy and or introduce new legislation, the correct answer was "yes". It is baffling why he flubbd it but he walked it back.   It is also baffling why you seem to be defending something he has already refuted.