In an interview with the network Monday, Paul said that vaccines are "a good thing" but that parents "should have some input" into whether or not their children must get them.
And he gave credence to the idea - disputed by the majority of the scientific community - that vaccination can lead to mental disabilities.
"I have heard of many tragic cases of walking, talking normal children who wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines," he said.
I am not a supporter by any stretch, but I had really wanted to believe that he was the least crazy cakes and offensive of the potential Republican primary candidates.
I am not a supporter by any stretch, but I had really wanted to believe that he was the least crazy cakes and offensive of the potential Republican primary candidates.
And though Paul has largely avoided such controversial topics in his effort to become more attractive to mainstream Republicans, they're nothing new for him and his father. Former Rep. Ron Paul said during his presidential run that "people have had some very, very serious reactions" from vaccines, and Paul is a member of a physicians' group that espouses the belief that vaccines can cause autism. Paul will be asked to answer for those past comments, and any future comments he makes, that are outside the mainstream.
The "Paul" here they are talking about is Rand, not Ron, because if you click through the link, there's this:
For more than two decades, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul was a member of a group, the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, that advocated a link between vaccinations and autism, among other conspiracy theories.
The AAPS, as Kentucky’s Courier-Journal noted in a 2010 article on Paul’s association with it, opposes mandatory vaccinations and promoted discredited studies, which linked the vaccine-component thimerosal to autism in children. “Mandatory vaccines violate the medical ethic of informed consent. A case could also be made that mandates for vaccines by school districts and legislatures is the de facto practice of medicine without a license,” the group said in a fact-check.
Paul’s adviser, Doug Stafford, told BuzzFeed News he didn’t know if Paul was still a member of the group but that he joined because it was a group of pro-life doctors. He said Paul does not endorse all the group’s views. Jane Orient, who handles media for AAPS, said she did not believe Paul had renewed his membership. A statement of the group’s principals on its website says it’s “evil” and “immoral” for doctors to participate in Medicare.
The AAPS journal also published a study by David and Mark Geier linking vaccines to autism, and has questioned the link between HIV and AIDS.
The group’s about page features a video of Paul on Fox News talking about a lawsuit by the AAPS arguing that health care reform was unconstitutional. He has spoken about the group before in public as well.
“I use a lot of AAPS literature when I talk,” said Paul addressing the group in 2009, noting he’d been a member since 1990.
In March 2013, the group issued a press release congratulating the longtime member for his win in a presidential straw poll.
“When Dr. Rand Paul was running for Senate in Kentucky in 2010 — and was supported by AAPS PAC — the press tried to smear him based on his membership in AAPS. But Dr. Paul did not back down or apologize, and he won in a stunning landslide,” the group said in a press release.
In 2010, Paul’s campaign said he was a member of the group because they supported market-oriented health care reform.
“Dr. Paul is member of AAPS because they believe that any health care reform should be market-oriented and embrace more freedom, not more government,” Jesse Benton, Paul’s campaign manager, told the Courier-Journal in 2010.
I am not a supporter by any stretch, but I had really wanted to believe that he was the least crazy cakes and offensive of the potential Republican primary candidates.
What? Where did you get this idea? No, really.
Well look, they all are terrible, he just seemed the least terrible because he's better on some civil liberties, i.e. opposes warrantless wiretapping, has spoken out on the over-militarization of the police, etc. So unlike say, Cruz, or Walker, or well, anyone else, I actually have some policy agreements with him. That's not to say I want him as President, or that I don't think he's a nutter, but just that I'd rather get measles than ebola if forced to choose.
But before I went off on FB I decided to watch the video. And it isn't as bad as the articles make it sound. He repeats that he absolutely endorses vaccines, chose them for his own child, etc., but he does also support delayed vaccinations instead of 7 in one whopping vaccine, because of having witnessed people with mental retardation after vaccinations (mp opinion - correlation =/= causation in those cases but whatevs).
I had a dog who died as a result of her vaccines - her kidneys shut down because her body couldn't handle the cocktail combo. So I really don't get up in arms about spacing out vaccines because I can see the logic that they could be too much for some systems when given all at one time. I did space out vaccines to some extent with my DD, while ensuring that by each quarter she was on target for all vaccinations. I know not all families can make that many doctor visits, etc.
And technically I don't think any of us want the government to force vaccines, do we? I can see where Paul is coming from in that you want it to be strongly recommended and followed AND if you don't follow you have to decide to sit your ass at home in a lot of circumstances because you are a risk to public health at large. BUT if you want to choose that, it is your freedom to do so. I can get behind that.
I want to shower now after defending him, but when watching the video, I couldn't get all up in arms about what he said after seeing it all in contexts and how he emphasized that he isn't trying to change any current laws - we already have the freedom to choose vaccines or not.
Post by lyssbobiss, Command, B613 on Feb 3, 2015 6:04:30 GMT -5
I saw a clip of this on the news this morning and was fuming about it all the way to work. WHAT KIDS ARE YOU EVEN TALKING ABOUT YOU OVERPRIVILEGED BACKWOODS INBRED MORON? Goddammit I hate Kentucky.
"This prick is asking for someone here to bring him to task Somebody give me some dirt on this vacuous mass so we can at last unmask him I'll pull the trigger on it, someone load the gun and cock it While we were all watching, he got Washington in his pocket."
Michelle, wut? There is no scientific or medical basis whatsoever for a delayed schedule. None. In fact, the delay of some vaccines actually increases the risk for seizures. It leaves children at risk longer for preventable diseases. Kids on delayed schedules are more likely to not get fully vaxxed. And there is no such thing as "overload" of vaccines. That is a myth and a foolish one. The schedule was made through research. You are supporting mythology in your above post. Are you sure you want to do so based in an anecdote about your dog? :?
Well look, they all are terrible, he just seemed the least terrible because he's better on some civil liberties, i.e. opposes warrantless wiretapping, has spoken out on the over-militarization of the police, etc. So unlike say, Cruz, or Walker, or well, anyone else, I actually have some policy agreements with him. That's not to say I want him as President, or that I don't think he's a nutter, but just that I'd rather get measles than ebola if forced to choose.
Hm. See, I have never thought him measles. I have always thought he is dangerous to civil rights. I have also thought for several years that he is a halfwit. Google his name and slavery sometime, lol.
"This prick is asking for someone here to bring him to task Somebody give me some dirt on this vacuous mass so we can at last unmask him I'll pull the trigger on it, someone load the gun and cock it While we were all watching, he got Washington in his pocket."
Well look, they all are terrible, he just seemed the least terrible because he's better on some civil liberties, i.e. opposes warrantless wiretapping, has spoken out on the over-militarization of the police, etc. So unlike say, Cruz, or Walker, or well, anyone else, I actually have some policy agreements with him. That's not to say I want him as President, or that I don't think he's a nutter, but just that I'd rather get measles than ebola if forced to choose.
Hm. See, I have never thought him measles. I have always thought he is dangerous to civil rights. I have also thought for several years that he is a halfwit. Google his name and slavery sometime, lol.
Yeah....but really, I think they all share his views on civil rights. They don't "win" my imaginary race because they haven't been stupid enough to voice their opinions.
Michelle, wut? There is no scientific or medical basis whatsoever for a delayed schedule. None. In fact, the delay of some vaccines actually increases the risk for seizures. It leaves children at risk longer for preventable diseases. Kids on delayed schedules are more likely to not get fully vaxxed. And there is no such thing as "overload" of vaccines. That is a myth and a foolish one. The schedule was made through research. You are supporting mythology in your above post. Are you sure you want to do so based in an anecdote about your dog? :?
I'm just saying I'm not going to get up in arms about someone choosing to do that or asking for that choice, IF they are committed to going the full vaccination route. And that Rand Paul, who normally is an asshat, answered the question (mostly) fine when you watch the video in its entirety - except for providing soundbytes that could get latched onto by the right and indoctrinated into rightwingers' thoughts (persuading a switch from vaccination as a standard).
Everyone has an anecdote that makes them paranoid about one thing or another. That happened to be mine when all these needles came into the room to be stabbed into my preshus.
I think all Pedi's should push the schedule as the standard. And they have to take into account their patient's needs that may have clinical or psychological reasons for modified schedules. For example, a kid comes in with a high fever, you have to delay the shot/schedule because of that - clinically supported. My pedi also said, "you can modify things like Hep B that are low risk but I'm telling you, and I'm the one with the license and degree, that my very strong recommendation is X." I think all Pedi's should be like her, and for the most part DD was vaccinated according to: www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/downloads/parent-ver-sch-0-6yrs.pdf except for Hep B which slid out on the calendar a bit.