Richard Anderson: Vaccine debate many-sided; MJC looking to explore them all

The mom protesting the vaccination bill SB 277 (“Third legislative committee advances California vaccine bill,” Online, April 28) denounces “stripping our rights one bill at a time” in one fist, while claiming “my child, my choice” in the other. In the USA, we really treasure the right of choice; America’s medical system wants us to make the right choices.

Every legitimate medical institution stresses vaccination. Doubters often refer to a 1998 Lancet article later retracted and thoroughly discredited linking vaccines to autism. The “Controversial vaccine bill arouses intense feelings” (Page A3, May 2) gives two stories arguing against vaccination and one for requiring vaccination.

Robert McGrew, of Modesto’s Cornerstone family medical practice, has created a valuable collection of 16 short (but thorough) explorations of the importance of each common vaccine, http://cornerstonefpmg.com/health-education-videos.

We interviewed two local Modesto Junior College employees who told their stories about lives lived well despite being damaged by vaccine-preventable disease. At https://vimeo.com/120841723, Jim Beggs talks of overcoming damage from polio; at https://vimeo.com/120842287 Denise Godbout-Avant relates her arduous path from almost total deafness from congenital rubella to cochlear implants nearly as good as ears we all take for granted.

If you have a vaccine-related story you would like to document, contact me at andersonr@mjc.edu

This story was originally published May 4, 2015 at 4:57 PM with the headline "Richard Anderson: Vaccine debate many-sided; MJC looking to explore them all."